Unrequited

A young man sits alone
In a diner’s chrome set booth
When an older man sits down with him
Long of hair and long of tooth

The older man regards the boy
Whose face is cold and empty
The old man follows the boy’s sad gaze
And understands him plenty

In another booth, the boy’s best friend
A girl he’s loved forever
And she fawning over another man
Who barely even looks at her.

“I don’t understand” the boy says softly
As his features fill with pain
“How can she love him so damned much
When he is just playing games?”

The old man leans back in his seat
And lets the young man speak
He remembers feeling pain like this
A love that leaves you weak

“She knew what he was like with her.
She knew he likes his games.
Only interested when he felt down
Then he’d disappear again.”

“She’d worry and she’d lay awake,
I watched her fall apart
Then he’d reappear with that shit stain grin
Until the next time he breaks her heart.”

“What’s worse is that she chose this.
She chose him over me.
She knew how much I loved her
But he was all she’d see.”

“So, you love her?” the old man questions
As the boy’s eyes fill with tears.
“But is it jealousy that fills your heart
Or is her heartbreak what you fear?”

The young man scoffs and wipes his cheek
“Why cant it be both?
The old man nods, somewhat impressed
There’s a lot of room here for growth.

“So, tell me what you see in her,
“How does she make you feel?”
Then he watches as his face lights up
He knows that this is real.

“I mean, she’s beautiful, that’s plain to see.”
He says with another look
“But real beauty is on the inside
“Don’t judge the cover of the book.”

“It isn’t what she looks like,
Though she is so beautiful.
There is so much more about her
She is like my own angel.”

“It doesn’t matter how dark the night
Or how bad the daytime gets
One word, or smile, on those soft lips
And I just forget.”

“I forget that I am lonely,
I forget that I am sad
I forget that life can pile so high
The good hidden by the bad.”

“She’s the ray of sunshine that lights my day
I’ve never seen a soul
So kind and willing to make others happy
To make their poor lives whole”

“Her mind has its own brilliance
That she simply cannot see
And nothing in the world seems wrong
When she just talks to me.”

“If she could only see herself
The way that I see her.
She would never need to doubt herself
She would understand her worth”

“But when she says those things of him
I’m filled with rage so blind
How he’s loving, kind and generous
When he’s nothing of the kind.”

“He’s never there when she needs him most
And usually ignores her.
He doesn’t want to help at all
He just feeds off her hurt.

“Cos when she’s happy and confident
He doesn’t have the hold
So, he fosters her insecurities
It’s a game that’s getting old.

“She needs a man who’ll build her up
Not a petulant little boy
Someone who can truly see her worth
And no treat her like a toy.”

“So, you think she should be with you?”
The old man softly speaks
“No, she needs someone to make her happy
Even if that’s not me.

“She isn’t some trophy
To be fought over and won
She deserves to be with someone
Who will treat her like his one.

“Who will see the rise and set of suns
In those molten deep brown eyes.
Whose world will turn on her happiness
Not on what her love buys.

“I’d be miserable for eternity
If it meant I’d see her smile.
Id spend each waking moment
Making each of hers worthwhile.

“But wanting that and getting it
Are very different things
She does not feel the same as me
Its for him that her heart sings.

“I watch her happiness ebb and flow
On the mood that he is in.
Is he there or has he gone,
I watch her played head spin.”

The young man sighs and looks again
And the old man waits a while
The puts his hand on the young mans arm
And says with a soft smile.

“I was young and loved like you
A love that’s not returned
It’s a difficult fact of this cruel life
That love is bestowed, and rarely earned.

“You may be right and he may be
All that you have said
But as her friend, you cannot judge
Just be there when it ends.

“If your love for her is pure and true
She’ll give and you will take.
But you have to let her live her life
And make her own mistakes.

“She does love you, in her own way
But its not the same as yours
Im afraid, my son, you’re up shit creek
And you’ve gone and lost your oars.

“You only have two choices
And they’re only yours to choose.
You can be her friend, or you can be her suitor
Or its both that you will lose.

“If it hurts that much then walk away
She may notice, she may care.
But when he hurts her, as you say he will
It is you who wont be there.

“I can see you love for her is real
I can see it on your face
They way your features all light up
When taking in her grace.

“But your love for her is not enough
If she won’t feel it back
You’ve got to just live your own life
And cut yourself some slack.

“Maybe your feelings for this girl
Will fade as time goes by
Maybe one day she’ll feel the same
Whether or not your try.

“You must be the friend she needs right now
And probably never more
You will be the one who picks her up
When he leaves her on the floor.

“Cos real love, it is selfless
It’s never about you
You claim you want her happy
Well lets see if that’s true.

“You will leave this diner and live your life
And be there when it counts
You’ll be the friend a friend would want
And drown the bad stuff out.

“Now go, my son, and say goodbye
Wish her a happy day
And try to smile for her bright eyes
And then be on your way”

The young man nods and says his thanks
And slips out of the booth
He cannot take his eyes off her
As he walks across the room

She looks up at him and smiles,
That smile that lights the room
And then he says “I love you,
Have fun, I’ll see you soon.”

She may have answered, she may have not
He turns and walks away
Unable to bring himself to look
To see if her smile fades

He doesn’t know what is worse for him
If she’s sad to see him go,
Or if it barely registers
As her eyes flick to her beaux.

But his eyes do rise and wander back
To the booth where he had sat
Now empty but for the memory
Of his last talk with his dad.