Antonio Dias (Hamilton, Ontario)

If you could
Feel what I feel,
See what I see,
Know what I know,
And hurt when I hurt,
Then you would realize
Why we need to be apart right now.
Not too far, nor too close,
But a distance where we can still communicate
And not get reattached.

I ventured too close at one point,
And burned me bad, you did.
I tried to back away from you
To stop some of the suffering,
Only to freeze in a lonely world
Without the flame
That is the ignition of my passion.

The fire of your soul
Burns me if I approach too near,
But I shiver if I retreat too deep.
So I won't leave -
I'll just wait right here;
Wait until I cease too weep;
Until the pain is gone;
Until it doesn't hurt anymore
To be close to you;
Until I move on,
Or until you come back.

The fire never used to burn
As wildly as it does now.
It was but a spark
That was shared between us.
It could be approached
Without leaving a burn;
Closeness was achieved,
But then the fire grew
As fuel was added,
And I had to back away
To prevent the inevitable burns
That would surely follow.

I watched and admired the fire
From a short distance.
Watched as it grew;
As it changed, because of the
Influence of the fuel.
I stood there as it grew hotter,
Forcing me to back away further.
I can still feel the warmth from here,
But I'm farther than I've ever been,
Because the fire of your soul rages,
And my tears cannot diminish it.