Whispers Between the lines

 If I could love you   Without falling to pieces,   I would have stayed.   I would have whispered your name   Into the quiet of every night   And kissed your sadness   Until it forgot how to stay. But love The kind I felt for you Wasn't soft.   It burned in my chest,   Clawed at my sleep,   And left me wondering   If I was loving you   Or slowly losing myself. I gave too much   Hoping you’d give just enough.   I held my breath   While you measured your silences.   I stayed still   While your moods moved like storms. I wanted to be your peace But I became your pause,   Your maybe,   Your “not now.” So I left,   Not because I stopped loving you But because I had to love myself   Before I disappeared completely. If I could love you   Without breaking,   You’d still be ...