Embers in Silence

I waited for a voice that never came,
A whisper in the dark, soft with my name.
But silence held me tighter than your touch,
And all I asked—was it really that much?

I reached for you through cold and sleepless nights,
Traced empty spaces bathed in hallway lights.
I spoke in hopes you'd hear between the lines,
But love can’t grow where no one ever tries.

I stayed through storms you wouldn't name aloud,
Bent through your moods, your silence like a shroud.
Told myself you hurt too much to feel—
But now I see: your love was never real.

You looked at me, but never really saw,
Just pieces you could shape or break by law.
And I let you—I made myself so small,
Until I barely recognized me at all.

You called it love, but only when it pleased—
When I was quiet, soft, and on my knees.
You took my kindness like it owed you more,
Then left me shattered, bleeding on the floor.

You fed me lies with sugar on your tongue,
Like I was lucky just to be the one.
But love isn’t cold. Love doesn’t make you beg.
Love doesn’t grin while pulling out your legs.

I gave you soul, you gave me scraps and games.
I lit you fires, you just cursed my flames.
And now you walk, untouched, without regret—
While I choke back the words I never said.