Just below the surface,
always within reach but rarely seen,
a place hidden from the pain
where only memories of love remain.
I see reflection in a stranger’s eyes,
a shared hunger for something real,
held back by the memory of what it costs.
Do you feel it too
the wanting to share a hidden fire,
to receive comfort from the pain,
to gently coax the embers
back into flame.
Not to burn the past away,
not to rewrite what cannot be undone,
but to sit close enough
to feel warmth again
without fear of ash.
To be seen without performance,
touched without demand,
held in the quiet space
where desire and caution
learn how to breathe together.
