I bit my fingernails
Looked away each time I felt you close
I watched you when I thought you weren't looking
I lingered on to every word you spoke
For to me, they were not just words; they were life

The first time we met
I smiled shyly at you and hoped I wasn't embarrassing myself
I sunk into the background
Hoping you wouldn't notice my shaking hands
Hoping you wouldn't see my poor social skills
Silently praying my heart wasn't thumbing loud enough for you to hear

But you smiled at me
and heed no notice of it all
To me you weren't afraid to show your kindness
For you showed it to everyone

You let me lose my shyness with you
For with you I learnt to speak my heart
Now I know I learnt how to speak too
For I knew not how to

In the little things I did
The shyly spoken words I said
The limitless laughter I shared with you
And in even the way I walked
You saw me
I never thought you would
I'd been hiding for long
Still you saw me.

© Nonduduzo Ngomane Magagula