I sense the silent tears
Shed for those you've lost
The memories behind your eyes...
It breaks my heart to watch
I wish that I could take your place
Or steal away some weight
But there's nothing I can do
That will give you an escape

I may never have experienced
The things that cause you pain
But through the gift of human empathy
I feel them all the same
So in sorrow and in heartbreak
I am here to hold your hand
And while I may not be able to relate
I can always understand

In the hum drum and the toil
In the itch of daily life
As we each till our own soil
Carefully avoiding each others' strife
We go to and fro enjoying
The comfort of monotony
And take pride in our employing
The right of autonomy

We take little heed of shadows
And the artwork they display
Or the fluffiness of clouds
As they drift along their way
We forget to thank our knees
As we bend to take a seat
Or admire the flowing streams
In the hardwood beneath our feet

It takes substantial effort
To see the inches in the miles
But there's something striking in them
That I think you'll find worthwhile
Take notice of the details
Don't be blind to little things
When life feels all too big
Just practice noticing

I wouldn't call it love
What I felt when I first met him
But I certainly felt something
Which I quickly wrote off as whim
A tickle in my chest
That inched down to my fingertips
Then made its way back up
To raise the corners of my lips

It wasn't all that special though
I've had crushes before
If you're looking for a sappy tale
You'll have to look some more
Love came in like all other fancies
A hint of what could be
Who knew that in such little time
It would progress so differently

I don't think love is blatant
It has no trumpet fare
One day while you aren't looking
It just sneaks in and pulls up a chair
So maybe next time you feel
A small tickle or your face flush
Remember every great love story
Starts with "just" a crush

It’s amazing how another human
Can change the way you see.
When you really know somebody else
You’ll find that they’re a “me.”

You find out that the thoughts they have
Are also never ceasing.
And the list of things you learn from them
Will always be increasing.

You learn their inner monologue
As if it were your own,
You hear the fine print of their brain
In their voices pitch and tone.

This person is as detailed
As you know yourself to be.
Their story is as known to them
As the wind is to a tree.

A being who can ponder
Who can think beyond the concrete.
The vast expanse of ideas in one mind
Makes the body seem obsolete.

The depth of all reality,
Something immeasurable,
Is captured in the inner workings
Of this thing that is a soul.

A person who was just someone
Can become much more than “he,” or “she.”
You’ve truly grasped some wisdom
When you see that person as a “me.”

And even more enlightening
Are the thoughts that might occur
When you contemplate that there are
8 billion “Me,”s on this earth.

"You're so sweet!" "What a cutie!"
Is that the best you can do?
Those are defaults and fillers
I don't want to hear that from you
I want you to point out the things
That the general public don't see
The sides to me that surprise you
Normally masked by timidity
You get to see my lion
But still recognize my lamb
Tell me I'm so much more
Than strangers might think I am
There is a fervid spirit in me
But it's cloaked in a subtle attire
While the entire world calls me simple and sweet,
I need you to call me
A wildfire.

There’s a lot we don’t understand
Our worlds are shrouded in mystery
But wisdom is close at hand
When we give credence to our periphery