Sharon Namwalizi Poems

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—
...

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.
...

Tired of pretending I don't notice the way you look at me,
the way your eyes light up when we speak —
and how empty they seem when we don't.
...

The urge to define
What we felt—
While the weight of outside pressure
Offered no help.
...

I finally convinced myself
I was over you.
My heart no longer skips a beat
at the sound of your name,
...

I still failed to meet your gaze,
because then you would know my pain.
And I was scared—
that if our eyes met,
...

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,
...