I thought I knew what love was
I used to think that love meant being a protector,
A shield against the world, both fierce and colder,
To guard you from the storms, the cuts, the tears,
To keep you from the weight of all my silent fears.
I thought that love was standing in the way,
A wall between you and the world’s harsh sway,
That my strength would lift the burden from your heart,
And keep you safe, from every tear, from every part.
But now I see, in quiet, painful light,
That in my grasping to shield you from the fight,
I built a cage around us both, unseen,
Hiding truths that should have lived between.
I thought I was protecting you from pain,
But in my silence, I invited strain.
Not shielding you, but keeping you away
From knowing what I’d carried every day.
Love isn’t just a fortress, cold and tall,
But letting you in, to feel, to see it all.
I see now: true love isn’t just to fight,
But to stand together, through the dark and light.
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