𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗥𝗬: "Unspoken Feelings—Language of Silence" by Michelle Piquero

Layout by: Cianyah Mendoza

Published by: Michelle Piquero

Date Published: November 18, 2024 

Time Published: 2:00 PM

Category: Prose

Theme: The harsh reality of liking someone in silence.

Do people always fall in love with someone they can't have? What's worse than knowing you want something, yet—deep inside, you can never have it?

I like you.

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯.

This is my way of speaking to the world about how I felt, while being the loudest silence I've ever kept. It's like a secret in which it was written loudly for the world to hear—𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

This is for everyone to understand—𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

And you cannot know. You cannot see it—not yet. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳.

How could I let you know about it when, deep down, I know that her scent still lingers in your chest? Does the fragments of her soul still remain whenever you hear her name? You crave my presence, yet your actions put me out of existence.

Do I make myself too available for you, the reason why you're always running to me at the end of the day to talk about how your day went? Was it my presence that made you feel safe enough to keep me?

Am I just your safety net, just in case things don't go your way?

Or was I the only thing that you can keep that would be the easiest to throw away when things start to go south?

Do you only like my company, that's why you're keeping me?

Because you are everything I want and 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦.

Will I ever stop yearning for a love that I've never felt? Will I ever stop craving a skin I've never touched, lips I've never kissed, and a love that I've never known?

Boundless questions I couldn't ask, resulting in waves of memories and tears that could drown you. Yet—I didn't let any of them touch your skin. I would even spray perfume into my wounds if I knew you liked the smell.

So, with every broken piece of my heart—I'll continue to love you. But not too close, yet too far. For the moment you'll tell me that you love me would be the exact same moment I'll decide to let everything go.

As to be loved by you is to be kept in 𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴.

Still—I'll continue to love you from afar, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.