Unspoken Love: Kisses That Never Landed

I saw you again in a place I never expected.

You weren’t looking for me, but I noticed anyway.

Something about the way you smiled pulled everything back.

All the words I never said rose like smoke in my chest.

But as always, I swallowed them and let you pass.

We were never lovers, not even close.

But we shared something that felt heavier than touch.

A moment paused between hello and goodbye.

I often wonder if you felt it too.

Or if it was only me, dreaming with my eyes open.

I remember the time your hand brushed mine by accident.

It felt like lightning, but neither of us flinched.

That silence held more than a thousand conversations.

It was loud in my head, quiet in the air.

I almost said your name, but fear held me back.

You once laughed at something I said, and I wrote poems about it.

Not good ones, but they were honest.

Each line a whisper of what I wanted you to know.

Love, hiding in metaphors and scribbled pages.

You’ll never read them, but they live because of you.

I see you with someone now and pretend it doesn’t ache.

The kind of ache that settles deep and stays quiet.

You look happy, and I want that for you.

Even if it means I remain a shadow.

Even if you never think of me again.

At night, I dream of versions of us that never happened.

We’re laughing, holding hands, sharing coffees and Sunday mornings.

In dreams, you kiss me like you've always meant to.

And I finally say the things I never could.

Then I wake up, and you’re gone again.

Some say we regret the things we did.

But I regret the things I didn’t say more.

What if I had just told you?

What if one word had changed everything?

I carry those questions like stones in my pocket.

I’ve kissed others, but not like I imagined kissing you.

Yours are the kisses that never landed,

Hovering forever in the space between almost and never.

They visit me in quiet moments and empty rooms.

Gentle ghosts with lips I never touched.

You taught me without trying that love doesn’t always speak.

That some connections live quietly in the soul.

No fireworks, just embers that never burn out.

I still carry your smile like a photograph in my mind.

Still waiting for the day I forget it.

If you read this someday and feel a pull, that’s me.

Still out here, remembering what never was.

Not asking for anything, just leaving this behind.

Because love, even unspoken, deserves a voice.

And this is mine—soft, aching, and finally free.

Reflection: The Weight of What’s Left Unsaid

Love doesn’t always arrive with grand gestures or perfect timing. Sometimes, it lingers quietly between glances, unspoken words, and the spaces we’re too afraid to fill. This poem isn’t just about a person—it’s about all of us who’ve carried feelings we never had the courage to voice.

We’re often taught that silence is strength, that vulnerability is weakness. But the truth is, holding in love hurts just as deeply—sometimes more—than rejection ever could. This is a reminder that emotional honesty matters. That love, even when uncertain or inconvenient, deserves expression.

Not every story ends in romance. Some loves exist only to show us what we’re capable of feeling. And while unspoken love might never break our hearts out loud, it still echoes in the quiet parts of our lives.

So if you feel something—say it.

If you love someone—tell them.

Because time doesn’t always wait.

Let this be a gentle nudge: your voice matters, your feelings are real, and sometimes, the most courageous thing you can do is speak.

Even if the kiss never lands—

at least you tried.