I’d heard of you before we met,
Along with a description of what to expect.
I thought little of it, just a name in my head.
Unaware of the dynamics that lie up ahead.
We met, we small talked, then Boom! It happened.
On our third, or maybe fourth, day of interaction,
Our chemistry sparked; an instant reaction.
Potential, kinetic, the ball set to action.
We had lunch together. It felt like a date.
The tension was there as we bantered and ate.
The rest of the day I was in a small haze,
But given two days it all faded away.
The ladybug landed; the butterflies fled,
Along with the fallacies fogging my head.
But now I’m more worried about you instead;
Your feelings for me you’ve kept mostly unsaid.
I’m sorry, but I only like you platonically.
It’s nothing you’ve done, but if I’m being honest,
Regarding attraction, I’m just not turned on, and we’re
Better off friends, if that’s something you’d want to be.
I hope you do, because though I would never
Admit that I feel it, I get scared whenever
I like a new friend, since once philia develops,
They leave me, pursuing their own life’s endeavors.
I don’t mean to guilt trip you or take advantage.
It’s not your fault I have abandonment baggage.
It’s just that each loss piles on to the damage,
And every desertion gets harder to manage.
I hope that your feelings have not taken root
So they’re easy to kill after hearing the truth.
But if they are already red in full bloom,
Then I’m sorry for any pain that I cause you.
I wouldn’t write this if I didn’t think
That you were a friend who I’d hate for to leave.
So for sake of our friendship and our sanity,
Do us both a favor:
Please don’t like me.
You’re currently one of my favorite people, and I’d hate for anything to keep us from being friends. Whether I want to or not, the knowledge of your feelings for me keeps me from being as open toward you as I’d like. I really want us to be closer, but the knowing gets in the way. It hinders me. It divides us.
I don’t want to be aware of everything I do when I’m around you. I don’t want to constantly be aware of my words and body language in fear of you interpreting it as reciprocated romantic feelings. But I am, and I don’t know much longer I could bear to do it.
I wonder if you know that I know. I think you do, but perhaps not. Sometimes I just want to clear the air and outright say, “Hey. I know you like me. Sorry, but I don’t feel the same way. I’d really love to keep being your friend, though. In fact, I’d hate to lose you as a friend. I hope that we can continue our friendship with minimal awkwardness.”
But I know that things aren’t that simple. I know that you can’t choose who you fall for, nor how hard you fall. I know that you can’t just decide to stop liking someone, even if it’s for your own good. I know these things all too well. God, I really hope you’re not in love with me. I highly doubt that’s the case, but it would make things so much more difficult.
Even if you did, though, I’d still want to be friends. I’d still want to spend time with you and talk for hours about the most random things. Because I still love you (platonically), and I still love what we have. I haven’t had a friend like you in a long time, and I’d hate to lose you. So if you can help it, I respectfully ask, for the sake of our friendship, please don’t like me.
(Also, in the off chance that I’m wrong about your feelings for me, I’d be quite embarrassed, but mostly I’d be very happy. As of now though, I’m 97% sure that you like me. I’m 100% sure that you liked me at some point. Even if I’m utterly and completely wrong, at least I made a good poem of it, haha.)
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