When I Saw Him Again: A Short Poem About Love, Guilt, and Second Chances

 I walked to his car

slow… like time could stretch

like maybe

if I delayed it

I wouldn’t have to face

everything I broke

I carried guilt in my chest

questions in my throat

truth… sitting beside lies

waiting to be chosen

he unlocked the door

and there he was

calm

too calm

the kind of calm

that hides a storm

that has already passed

but I saw it

the softness

the quiet happiness

he tried not to show

and I wondered

why am I forgiven

so easily?

or maybe…

not easily

just lovingly

it felt like

right place

right time

wrong history

then he spoke

and something in me

lit up

that familiar warmth

that dangerous softness

the kind that whispers

“this is love”

but I argued with it

I said no

not again

not him

but my heart

my heart didn’t listen

it leaned closer

looked longer

stayed

I couldn’t stop watching him

I wanted to say it

so badly

but I built walls

100 reasons high

just to hide one truth

I wanted him

in a way that felt

like falling

without fear

my friend

miles away

still saw it

she felt it through me

heard it in my silence

“you like him,” she knew

I didn’t deny it

I just asked

“are you seeing someone?”

he said no

and quietly

without permission

without warning

my heart said

you are mine

and suddenly

every reason

every distance

every “we can’t”

meant nothing

because in that moment

it was just him

and I didn’t care

if it hurt again

I just wanted

to feel him

even if

only

for a moment

With love,

Abii