If Someone Asked Me Why

A poem on my unrequited love.

If someone asked me why I love you, this is what I’d say:

I’d tell them of the time you spoke about your favourite Marvel comics,

And the way your face lit up when you described them to me.

I’d tell them how innocent and pure that radiance was, how childlike your mannerisms were,

In that moment at least.

And I’d hope they understand why I fell in love with the feeling of your untainted enthusiasm,

About some bloody comic books no one else cared about.

I’d show them all your worries and troubles,

Stacked on top of one another in a precariously balanced house made of playing cards.

And while they were assessing these I’d point out how selfless you are,

How your troubles were never centred around your own happiness.

And I’d hope they see that the house of cards I showed them is a reflection of the person you are,

The kind of person who’d knock those cards down if they had your name on them instead.

I’d paint them a picture of your mind as I see it,

Full of complex ambitions, conflicting emotions, unreasonable doubts and careless memories.

I’d use blue and pink to dot your journey here,

And blazing red to show them the great places you are destined to go.

And I’d hope they stand back and appreciate the amalgam of colors instead of questioning why,

There isn’t a single spot on the canvas I seem to fully understand despite being the artist.

I’d take them on a walk to the place we first met,

I’d make sure it was a sunny day first, just like that one.

I’d tell them I didn’t think much of you at all when I first met you,

And I’d make them sit in that same spot, and feel the same way we felt as indifferent strangers.

And I’d hope they understand that despite the seeming insignificance of that moment, 

I look back and am convinced I see a halo of light above that place, and the misleading simplicity of that day.

I’d tell them how tightly you hugged me when I was sad,

How softly you touched my arm when you beckoned to me that nothing was wrong.

How quietly you showed me an outpouring of inert friendship- friendship waiting to combust,

In a time I thought I needed you the most. 

And I’d hope they understand that it’s not just how wonderful it was breathing in the fragrance of your old jacket,

It was how wonderful it felt, feeling the weighty presence of a thousand words unspoken.

I’d give them the shoes and the bags and the hate I threw at your head,

Just for them to inspect amusingly and wonder why.

I always end up hating the people I love the most,

And I always end up scarring them with more of my sadness than I can remember the next morning.

And I’d hope they understand that it’s not the guilt that comes with the hangover,

It’s the gutsy sickness in your stomach that makes you heave the second your lips touch the glass of wine.

I’d warn them before they meet you, this is what I’d say:

“It’s easy to make that boy laugh, but it’s hard to win him over.

His love is not on display, his mind has been sent to the dry cleaners,

His laugh has been tampered with, by caution and logic.

But don’t ever say you don’t understand that he’s a wonderful human being”,

I’d hope they understand your facade is all pretence.

And if someone asked me why I love you, this is what I’d say:

It is hard for me to imagine,

Going through the rest of this life,

And meeting another singular human being like you.

This is what I would say,

If someone asked me why.

Author's Note

This is the first poem I ever wrote, and my first post on this website. So far I've only posted my writing on my tumblr- coffeeshopsundays.tumblr.com (give it a read if you'd like! :) ) So, any comments or feedback is welcomed! Thanks for reading!

Reviews

[Ravyne Hawke]

For a first poem, this is powerful! It reads like Spoken Verse and I could denote the rise and fall of your voice as I read this aloud. Your imagery is wonderful. I really like "I look back and am convinced I see a halo of light above that place, and the misleading simplicity of that day." and these lines:

I’d give them the shoes and the bags and the hate I threw at your head,
Just for them to inspect amusingly and wonder why.
I always end up hating the people I love the most,

For a first, you have some amazing talent and I hope you will post more of your work here at WC. I am sending a read request to my friends and hopefully you will get some more feedback.

[Samantha]

Thank you so much, Lori. I really appreciate the feedback and kind words, and also thanks for sending a read request to your friends!

[London's Lily]

Welcome, from one newbie to another :) My existence here is barely a week old, and I've come across some very lovely, friendly people so far.

I enjoyed reading your poem. I like the story it tells ~ I found several places in the poem that I could relate to personally, including:

I’d give them the shoes and the bags and the hate I threw at your head,
Just for them to inspect amusingly and wonder why.
I always end up hating the people I love the most,

Well done, lovely poem; I'm looking forward to reading more of your work. :)

[Samantha]

Thanks so much! You encouraged me to try more things with writer's cafe. I look forward to rwading some of your work as well!

[Broken Wings]

Well written piece, I enjoyed reading this very much. It is much better read aloud I found. The imagery you used was powerful. A very good first write on here and I hope to see more, nice write!

[Samantha]

Thank you so much!!

[DJ]

This is beautiful! I love how you describe him. I have never heard of someone described that way before, but wow, it had me in awe.

“It’s easy to make that boy laugh, but it’s hard to win him over.
His love is not on display, his mind has been sent to the dry cleaners,
His laugh has been tampered with, by caution and logic.
But don’t ever say you don’t understand that he’s a wonderful human being”,
I’d hope they understand your facade is all pretence."

I love these lines, I can relate to them a lot. Your writing is real, honest and deep. Keep writing, this is a great first poem.

[Samantha]

Thank you so much. He's the kind of person that would inspire anyone to write beautifully.

[DJ]

That is really sweet and you're very welcome :)

[Kelly Scheppers]

Samantha, this is articulation at its best!

"And I’d hope they understand that it’s not just how wonderful it was breathing in the fragrance of your old jacket,
It was how wonderful it felt, feeling the weighty presence of a thousand words unspoken."

Your days here are just beginning, as your muse is only learning how to trust your reader, and yourself! This place can be a bit intimidating when you're new, but there's no better place I'd rather be. I wish you the very best.



Kelly

[Samantha]

Thanks a ton, Kelly. I really appreciate you taking the time to read this and review it!