Embrace

A tale of hurt, where the truth lies.

"You think I don't care?" echoes despair,

As I witnessed your retreat, stripped and bare.

I gave you your space, I gave you your time,

I listened when you needed a voice to chime.

Through tears and laughter, I stood by your side,

A beacon of strength when your spirits would hide.

I held your hand when darkness would creep,

A friend, a confidante, in secrets I'd keep.

I put your feelings over my own,

A selfless devotion, a love that had grown.

I broke all my rules so you could be happy,

But still, it seems, your soul was not appeased.

You, my dear, make me feel like a zero,

A weight on my shoulders, a never-ending sorrow.

Yet I find solace in caring for you,

For in nurturing others, I find my own truth.

For in healing your wounds, I tended to my own,

A balm for my soul, a love I had sown.

For deep within me, a longing resides,

A need to be cared for, a desire I hide.

I stood there, an observer of your retreat,

As you turned your back, conceding defeat.

I watched you, my gaze like a piercing flame,

As you offered dry replies, void of any claim.

Each day unfolded, a silent exchange,

Words faltering, echoes of estrange.

I saw you slipping, fading away,

A once vibrant connection, now beginning to sway.

The embers of interest, they slowly waned,

Like a flickering candle, their light restrained.

I witnessed your distance, like an ocean's tide,

Receding with each passing day, alongside my pride.

And then, my dear, the pain took its toll,

As I watched you walk, leaving a gaping hole.

In the theater of memories, our love's sweet refrain,

Your exit, a symphony of heartache and pain.

It shattered me, that final farewell,

A torrent of emotions, like an ocean's swell.

The fragments of hope, scattered and broke,

As you walked away, my heart, it finally broke.

- Sruthi Nair