Sharon Namwalizi

There's something in the way you look at me,
A softness in your smile when you speak.
Everything about you is mesmerizing,
I catch myself staring—
...

And then it all dawned on me,
My mind couldn't fully comprehend.
But this is the closest I've gotten
To understanding why it always felt familiar.
...

Dear Unknown Lover,

To be honest, I gave up on the first letter—a few times.
I don't even know how it ended up being posted.
...

I like you.
It's something I never thought I'd hear myself say.
I denied myself for so long, thinking the feelings would fade.
But they didn't. And now, I know—I like you.
...

Let's be friends.
I know we said we'd try.
Said it felt easier than becoming strangers again—
But the longer I stay here,
...

Growing up, I thought love would be so loud,
I would find it even in a crowd.
I hoped it would make my heart spike,
Flatter me in ways I didn't know existed.
...

Everything felt new, and I was eager to try—
A false sense of sweetness.
My new idea of happiness
Landed me in trouble.
...

I met my younger self.
I found her with her head buried in a book,
her hands scrabbling away, fingers stained with ink
on her bedroom floor.
...

He was kind—he is.
I got lost in his genuine smile,
forgot the miles we must run
to find the one.
...