I wish I could let you go, unchain this heart,
leave your shadow behind, make a brand new start.

But you linger like smoke, soft, stubborn, and slow,
and I wonder why I still can’t let you go.

I wish I could turn these dreams into dust,
replace every memory, rebuild every trust.

To reach out for someone who isn't you,
to hold onto hands that feel steady and true.

But your echo remains in each word, each sound,
and love feels like roots too deep in the ground.

I wish I could find new soil, fresh air,
but I look for you even when you’re not there.

So I’m caught in this space, between past and new,
lost in the ache of wanting to love someone too.

Yet here I am, haunted, torn in two,
wishing I could leave, but tied to you.

.    .    .