Bystander's Reality
By Lara James

Waiting by the quiet phone
she swore she wouldn't call,
wanting him to prove his love
this silent Valentine's Day.
She says she accepts him,
loves him, adores him.
She says, "He's the one;
It's meant to be."
A salty tear trickles
(she thought I could not see
it slide and stain her cheek).
I see far more than her back can shield.
I see a girl afraid of loneliness,
her prince afraid of growing up,
and a silent bond neither wish to accept:
they both will keep smiling,
keep fighting, keep breathing
until Romeo calls on his Juliet.

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