The Young Man
She's a veteran. She's a young lady who has put herself back together after being let down time and time again.
She's a veteran. She won't let you go because she clings on to the old you. The you she fell for.
She's a veteran. Only her battle field was best explained by John Mayer in "Heartbreak Warfare." She won't let you go because when she said 'I love you' she meant it. She still believes the old you will come back. The same person who swept her off her feet by putting all her fears to rest. Only she's starting to realize that that person may not come back. Ever. And that makes her feel like she's no longer good enough. She feels as if its her fault the relationship ended. She's in love with a person who will never come back, but she fails to realize this because love is blind. Or at least she purposely chooses to only see the old you.
She's a veteran. She's spent her fair share of nights on the phone crying to her friends. Then turning around and defending you when they tell her to move on. She knows they just want her happy, yet she's still hoping for you to call and say "I fucked up." Only when you finally do call, it makes things worse because she knows things will never be the same. The damage is done, yet she still believes you are the only person who can fix her. No doubt you could fix her, but some scars tell bigger stories than others and she can't hide those. She's in love with a ghost. The you she fell in love with is gone, and thats to a good enough answer for her.
She's a veteran. She's tried to date other guys but it never works. She compares everyone to the old you. In her mind no one will ever stack up to you, and she may be right. But thats the old you, not the current you. Refusing to accept that you are no longer the you she clings on to, she begins to shut down. She builds a wall and hides behind it. You become the standard for every other guy, and its an impossible standard because the you she has in her mind is a fictional character in novel.
Until one day....
Until one day a young man walks up to the wall and knocks on the door. She doesn't reply and she has no intention to do so. However he knocks again. This young man knows what hides behind the wall. The young man sees beauty where she see refuses to look, he feels compassion where she only feels remorse and he hears cries for help where she only hears denial.
This young man realizes what he is up against. He sees the pain she hides behind that smile. He sees the insecurities she hides behind her laugh. He notices this because he experiences the same pain she does. He knows what its like to have his expectations let down and his effort go unnoticed. He knows that life can be hard and he has learned to play the hand that has been dealt to him. So he tries again. He knows that by not trying again he is letting his ex win. He has gotten past the anger, the tears and the feeling of emptiness. He knows that as much as we want a specific person to fit our mold, it doesn't always work out that way.
One day a young man walked into her life and she decided to give love a chance again. Now her smile no longer hides pain, and her laugh no longer conceals her insecurities. Pain is a feeling that only resides in her memories. As for her insecurities, she can't even name those thanks to the genuine sincerity of the young man.
Everyday in life we have a choice. We can be the young man who tears down walls, or the boy who makes people build them. You decide.
Another thought by Tyle, inspired by a friend.
