Alternate Narrative

Cold air, late shift, fluorescent lights,

Passing shadows in the corner of my eye,

Same place, same time, different life,

Funny how silence can sound so loud at night

You said “behind” but it was too late,

Small collision, still my heart changed shape,

Quick “I’m sorry,” then we drift away,

Like strangers wearing memories on our face

Talking to the room but not to me,

Half-glances caught in peripheral scenes,

I stay busy pouring drinks and caffeine,

Acting like this tension don’t cut deep

And maybe it’s nothing,

Maybe I read too much,

Maybe your eyes just wander,

Maybe I still want us

So I keep moving through the motions,

Countertops and crowded spaces,

Trying not to chase the ghost of conversations,

You don’t hate me, you just keep your distance,

And I can’t tell if that’s healing

Or if we’re both scared to feel it

Everybody laughing, voices overlap,

But when we cross paths the whole room goes flat,

A thousand words hiding in simple acts,

Looking away, then looking back

I know I should let the silence breathe,

Stop searching for signs in the smallest things,

But your presence still pulls at me,

Like a song stuck somewhere underneath

Maybe time just needs more time,

Maybe love looks different from the outside,

Maybe one day this won’t feel so heavy,

But tonight your shadow’s standing next to me

So I keep moving through the motions,

Late nights under neon glances,

Trying not to lose myself in what-ifs and chances,

You don’t hold me, but you don’t disappear,

And I don’t know what that means,

I just know you’re still here

Cold air, end shift, city lights,

Still replaying moments in my mind