"I like you."

In some realm, I see
A version of myself that I could be.
But here and now, I know I'm not that man,
My flaws, my silence, ruin every plan.

I see the gap, my lack of steady line,
How it would break what we might intertwine.
I’m not the one to give what you require,
You'd think I don't like you, though I aspire.

I date others, ones I like much less,
Their wants and needs, a simpler mess.
Physical sparks, with hearts not entwined,
Losing them means little, leaving none behind.

I watch your stories, from a distant place,
Keeping alive a dream, your radiant grace.
Not for now, but for who I aim to be,
A better man, deserving, possibly.

I flirt with you in moments weak and vain,
Selfish whispers, adding to my chain.
I'm lonely, and the others fill no void,
Yet hurting you would be a cruel, sharp point.

It's ego's game, not truly about you,
A dance of what I lack, and what I could pursue.
A dreamer's curse, an anxious heart in plight,
It takes much work to break this pattern's might.

So, from afar, I admire and I learn,
Hoping one day, to be the man you'd yearn.
But till then, I'll hold back and respect,
For hurting you, I'd never want to reflect.

© sionx