Haunting Regrets Poem by Katherine Kay Graven

I was standing there before you
Saying I no longer cared
Slashing through your loving heart
With every hurtful word I shared
You said you still loved me
Said you wanted me to stay
Please don't go away

Everyone told me
I was making a mistake
And you said I would regret
The day I threw your love away

You showed me the meaning of true love
Of friendship and respect
You gave your heart without regret
With a devotion I'll never forget
And I showed you how easily
A loving heart could break
Now I'm living with the memories
And these haunting regrets

You waited for me to change my mind
And bring your heart back home
To say that I was sorry
For leaving you alone
You remembered every special day
And always took the time
To show me just how much you cared
And prove your heart was mine

But I turned my back upon you
Leaving all that love to bear
Then drove away in just one moment
As if your
love
was never
there…

You showed me the meaning of true love
Of friendship and respect
You gave your heart without regret
With a devotion I'll never forget
And I showed you how easily
A loving heart could break
Now I'm living with the memories
And these haunting regrets…

Your laughter brought me comfort
Your kindness sheltered me from harm
You were always standing near me
Holding me safely in your arms
You were there when I needed you
A shoulder I could lean upon
I never needed anyone else
While your love kept holding on

You showed me what it looked like
When someone truly loved me
There were no heartaches born from lies
No hidden games or deceit
No deception in your promises
No painful truth concealed
Only honesty and tenderness
In every emotion you made me feel

You never left me questioning
What I meant inside your heart
I never had to search for answers
Or wonder where I stood
You showed me love could shelter me
The way that only true love could
And I never knew how rare it was
Until I walked away for good

It only took a split second
To destroy what should have lasted a lifetime
A once-in-a-lifetime love
With your heart resting next to mine
But pride can make a moment
That forever can't erase
And time cannot return me
To the love I failed to save

I destroyed true love
Destroyed every ounce of respect
I destroyed the friendship
And your devotion I'll never forget
Destroying the meaning of honesty
And the very truth my heart regrets
Destroying the home you gave me
When I chose to walk away
Now I'm living with the memories
And so many haunting regrets

Years have passed
But the sadness remains
And I still hear your warning
Calling out my name
You said one day I'd understand
The price my heart would pay
Now all I have is yesterday
And the love

I threw away

And these

haunting…

regrets

To this…
very…
day.

Written by
Katherine Kay Graven
Twenty Twenty-Six