One-Sided Love
Where the heart loves and the lips remain silent
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Introduction
In the garden of unspoken things,
Where silent tears and longing clings,
There blooms a love that never sees the sun—
A story finished before it's begun.
To love someone who never knows your name,
To burn alone in secret, silent flame.
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The Ghazal of Hidden Longing
(Each couplet holds a universe of quiet ache)
I learn your coffee order, your favorite song, the way you laugh at dawn.
You do not know I exist at all—I am the shadow on your lawn.
You speak of her with stars inside your eyes, your voice so soft and warm.
I nod and smile and slowly die, weathering the storm.
I memorize the curve of your hand, the way it holds a pen.
You'll never know I'd cross any land just to hold it once. Amen.
You sat beside me on the bus, our shoulders almost touched.
I held my breath, I cursed the rush, I wanted so much.
I wrote you letters I'll never send, poems you'll never read.
A one-sided love that has no end, a heart that cannot bleed.
You wished me happy birthday—a generic, polite reply.
I carved that moment in my mind, beneath a private sky.
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The Art of Invisibility
To love unnoticed is to become a ghost—
Present at every party, at every post,
Standing in corners, watching from afar,
Wishing upon a distant, dying star.
I know the exact blue of your eyes
Under overcast November skies.
I know the way your laughter sounds
When joy has you unbound.
I know your fears, your dreams, your taste,
The way you hurry, the way you haste.
I've built a museum of all things you—
Every fact collected, everything true.
But you—you do not see me at all.
I'm just a face in the hall,
A name in a crowded room,
A flower destined to bloom
Invisible, silent, unknown—
A garden planted alone.
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The Weight of Silence
Some days the silence feels like stone,
A weight I carry entirely alone.
I want to speak, to scream, to shout—
To let these feelings out.
But fear holds tighter than any chain,
Whispering again and again:
"What if he laughs? What if she leaves?
What if the dream becomes what grieves?"
So I remain in my safe disguise,
Reading the truth behind your lies
When you tell me of another love,
Sent from somewhere up above.
I celebrate your happiness,
Even as it makes a mess
Of every hope I dared to hold,
Every story left untold.
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The Beauty in the Pain
Yet something strange begins to grow—
A love that asks for nothing, that flows
Not toward possession or return,
But simply for the sake of burn.
I learn to love you quietly,
Without demand, without a plea.
I learn that love can be a gift
Given freely, without a rift.
Your joy becomes my secret sun,
Even though I'm not the one
Who puts the laughter in your eyes,
Who catches you when you rise.
I find a strange, sad purity
In this one-sided love of me.
No expectations, no demands,
Just these invisible, loving hands.
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The Shaping of a Soul
And slowly, quietly, I start to see
How this love has been shaping me.
Teaching patience, teaching grace,
Teaching strength I cannot face.
I become softer, yet stronger too—
Learning to love without a clue
If I will ever be held in return,
If these silent fires will ever burn
Bright enough for you to see
The person standing quietly,
Loving you without a sound,
On this one-sided, holy ground.
I learn that love is not always received,
But that does not mean it's deceived.
Love given freely, without a cost,
Is never, ever truly lost.
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Letting Go
The day will come—I know, I feel—
When I must choose my own heart's heal.
When loving you from far away
Is no longer the price I pay.
I'll gather up the dreams I've spun,
Thank you for the hidden sun,
And walk away with quiet grace,
The tears concealed upon my face.
Not because I love you less,
But because I need to bless
Myself with chances yet to be,
With love that might return to me.
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Conclusion
So here's to every hidden heart
That loves and plays its silent part.
To every glance never returned,
To every fire that quietly burned.
You are not foolish; you are brave—
A love like yours has power to save,
Not the one who never knew,
But the beautiful, broken heart in you.
For even love that walks alone
Plants seeds that later will be sown.
And one day, you will find your way
To love that asks your name to stay.
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Summary:This poem explores the tender, painful journey of loving someone who never realizes your feelings. Through the traditional Ghazal form and reflective verses, it captures the silent struggle—the admiration from afar, the weight of unspoken words, and the quiet ache of watching them love another. Yet ultimately, it reveals how even unreturned love shapes us, teaching patience, grace, and the profound lesson that love given freely, without expectation, is never wasted. It ends with a gentle acceptance and the courage to finally let go, honoring the beauty in thebrokenness
