I loved a man for 13 years and in the 14th he told me he loved me. I had told him many times but he never responded in kind. When he told me, it came after a life-altering event which, a year later, lead to his death. Love is powerful. Life is fragile.


The Moment

When is the moment
it’s okay
to declare one’s love
for another?

Will there be a sign?
Or was it there already
in those first, flickering glances,
a glimmer
ready to burst into flame?

Did he feel it too -
that spark
of possibility?

Still, perhaps
it is best to wait,
until the scars are seen,
the past unpacked,
and the shape of each other
fully understood.

And yet,
the question remains:

When is the moment
it’s okay
to say
I love you?



Poetry by Melinda K Zarate The PoetBay support member heart!
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Written on 2025-08-05 at 03:16

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Kee Zealy The PoetBay support member heart!
That is a question for all eternity, as much for past relationships as for current ones. That emotional statement may vary depending on the person. The truth is there is no right time. It just depends.
2025-08-05


Griffonner The PoetBay support member heart!
You foreword explains the motivation, inspiration, to write this poem. I guess in such a relationship its continuation depends on the strength of the love the giver has, not the negativity of the taker. Is that too blunt? I used those adjectives in a metaphorical sense. I have learned that in relationships not all couples love equally. Blessings, Allen
2025-08-05