Ambivalence

The pendulum swings,
Left to right,
Should we try?
Or say goodbye?

Stuck in dilemma,
We don't break the ice,
On and off in relationships,
Friendship suffice,

The fullfilling conversation,
Comfort of being ourselves,
Too much to risk,
What if it doesn't work?

When we get closer,
We gear our speed down,
Back to being friends,
Our safe town,

Experience dictate,
The risk we don't take,
Wondering if we'll be brave,
For the beautiful mistake.

Reviews

[Belle]

The way you capture the push and pull of relationships is so honest.
The pendulum metaphor immediately drew me in.
I love how the poem mirrors the hesitations we all feel.
Lines like "Too much to risk / What if it doesn’t work?" are so relatable.
The pacing and rhythm reflect the on-and-off nature of closeness perfectly.
I especially lingered on the ending line, "For the beautiful mistake."
It feels like a gentle encouragement to be brave.
Your words make the uncertainty in human connections feel alive!

[Davidgeo]

Ambivalence is a good word for an awful feeling. When we love and hate something, like or dislike something equally... we are stuck in the middle, they cancel each other out and we are left in a dreary town called ambivalence. There will be many towns like this along the way... as you age you will discover the art of feeling ambivalent about your ambivalence, and so forth and so on until you finish aging.

[Relic]

When faced with the decision to go forward in a relationship I think it often comes down to new responsibilities and being vulnerable to someone. That kind of decision can weigh heavily on one's mind. That pendulum can swing a long time before taking a leap of faith.

[Curly Grace]

Your pendulum metaphor sets the tone perfectly for a poem about emotional indecision. The way you describe the fulfilling conversations and the comfort of being yourselves makes the hesitation even more poignant. The ending’s "beautiful mistake" is a lovely, haunting phrase.

[Belle]

Your poem captures the delicate tension of hesitation and uncertainty in relationships so well. I love how the pendulum metaphor mirrors the push and pull between desire and caution, making me feel the emotional back-and-forth. The closing lines linger beautifully, highlighting the bittersweet mix of fear and longing for a “beautiful mistake” that never fully happens.

[lydiango72]

Follow the heart or heed reason? We always seem to be stuck in this space — more than friends, yet not quite lovers. A beautiful story.