You think you know me?
Yes, you claim you know who I am.
Yet you do not know who I was.

I was the thief, aged seven, that nearly got away.
I was the reader, aged ten, indulging in George Orwell.
I was the match-maker, aged twelve, bonding hearts across wires.
I was the insane, aged thirteen, seeing death as a new beginning.
I was the hacker, aged fourteen, learning how to navigate Windows in Spanish.
I was the con-artist, aged fifteen, making thousands.
I was the economist, aged sixteen, dabbling in foreign exchange.
I was the romantic, aged seventeen, thinking my life was set in stone.
I was the student, aged eighteen, learning to live on my own.
And I was the lost, aged nineteen, on the brink of existence.

Now I'm the searcher, aged twenty, finding new meaning to life every day.
Looking through rose-tinted glasses.
Learning to love and be loved.
Not for who I was,
But who I am.

Forgive me, for I have fallen in love with you.
Even though we're so far apart.
Even though I know you love someone else.
I couldn't help my stupid heart.

Forgive me, for I can't think about anyone else but you.
You've taken over my dreams, my wants, and my desires.
And even though you're thinking about someone else,
I couldn't help my stupid heart.

Forgive me for wanting to hear your deepest dreams and desires.
You are beautiful inside and out.
A beauty which knows no bounds.
Still, I couldn't help my stupid heart.

Forgive me for hoping to be an exception someday.
For wanting to hold you.
For wanting to make your dreams come true.
And for wanting to hear you say, "I love you too."

"You deserve a medal," she told me.
Aren't they just a reminder of someone else's pain?
Scars of gold, silver, and bronze.
The soldier's reward for a victim's funeral.

Your eyes saw me, and mine saw you.
And for those few seconds, we connected like few do.
I tried to break glare, but you kept me at stare.
The light from above made a twinkle in your eye,
And with that my heart began to fly.
A smile spread across your face,
One that stopped time and space.
I smiled back and was froze in a trance,
And I wondered if your heart too started to dance.
Caught in a phase we were two of a kind.
But I knew love I could not find.
And so I sit here alone,
Wishing I could call you my own.

When I see the stars in the sky,
I think of the twinkle in your eye.
If only I could get that high,
But without wings I cannot fly.
I sit here upon my bed and write this poem,
Only wanting someone to call my own.
But there's one thing from keeping me blue,
And that one thing is thinking about you.
As I lay here and tell you how I feel,
You should know this isn't a dream it's all real.
And as I lay my pen to rest,
I want you to know, you're the one I think is best.