my heart keeps monitoring the precious memory
from when your eyes first met mine.

my arms are now full of your phantom
presence, as I attempt to bargain with you, telepathically,

to join in recovering every missed opportunity to
have been brave enough to go at our own speed in
finding what true love is all about,

rather than rushing
to each milestone, rather
than holding onto each other
so tightly from being afraid of
our passion resting, even if only
for a little while.

I mourn you and I,
and the wisdom that evaded us in
those early teenage days.

just the mere thought of your face, or the slightest utterance of
your name, sets the flame in me fully ablaze.

– Tony Nicholas Clark

Author’s Note: I wrote this poem while reflecting on teenage love and how, while often brief, it can leave an impact on us that never fades. I pulled from my own experiences, as well as others I’ve observed, for inspiration.