Love You More Than...

I must have realized a little too late

I love you more than I thought I did

I love you more than the trips to the park; half-past 6 a.m.

I love you more than the times I needed to be alone in fear I’d explode if I wasn’t

I loved you more than poetry

I’m sorry to my ex-lover, but at night at my empty bedside I’d dream of waking up to you

When she was leaving me I realized I’d never actually seen her face,

I only ever saw yours

I’d see flashes of your face as she walked away

I’d remember your smile and warm embrace

I remembered how we weren’t even friends

Just side glances, hallways, and an 8th-grade dance

Nothing more than an awkward “hey”

Most times it was silence,

As we followed each other with our eyes

I realized I didn’t know what love was until I met you

When you’d look at your phone I wondered if it was to text me; Anything to give you an excuse to

So I’d check my phone for messages I’d never receive,

But I kept the noise on my phone on

Hoping I’d hear your ringtone; to see your name on my screen