The Almost Lover

Today, you told me you met someone new.
The part of me that is your friend, smiled,
because you deserve all the beautiful things
this life could ever offer you

But there is another part of me,
the one you almost loved,
The one in love with you

I carry the warmth you gave her,
the way your presence eased their tension.
You never saw it, it was your second nature.

So I write words, endless words,
on paper, on scraps, an quiet nights.
Each page folded and placed away,
a small box of everything between what was
and what never got the chance to be

I remember how you noticed the small things,
The shifts in mood, thoughts never spoken
You looked in the spaces between moments,
in places I didn't know to hide my darkness.
And for a while, being seen like that,
almost felt like being held.

So yes, I am happy for you
The part of me that is your friend
hopes it works, that it is beautiful
and that you have found the love you deserve

But the almost lover in me,
quiet, ashamed, and oh so tender
Keeps the door unlocked, a window open
Just in case the world ever decides it's time
to send you back home to me