Love in the Shadows

A fading echo, found in the dark,

Where shadows linger, and dreams leave a mark.

Am I too fragile, too hard to embrace?

They love the illusion, not the heart's hidden trace.

Every smile I wear feels so rehearsed,

Like I'm an empty book for stories unversed.

They see my colors, not the palette it took,

They gather their thoughts, and then they don't look.

It's predictable, like a plot I can quote,

They'll say I'm too sweet; they’ll cancel my showboat.

Each compliment stings, it twists like a knife,

In the drama of hearts, I’m readjusting my life.

You like the idea, but you don’t want the pain,

You turn to the light, but I’m left in the rain.

Every time that you say, you just want to be friends,

I drown in the ache as my heart pretends.

And I hate myself for all the mistakes I made,

Why can’t they see me, the truths I've laid?

Fearing the echoes, I drown them in sound,

As I fold my heart, just to keep it unbound.

They chase their reflections, just searching for more,

I'm caught in the silence; it’s hard to ignore.

But every goodbye feels like déjà vu,

I whisper the words that you never come through.

It's written too clearly, like lines on a page,

Every brief moment feels bound in a cage.

They’ll think that they’re kind, with their