Epiphany of the Heart

Disconcerted and chagrined,
I entwine my fingers tighter around you,
glancing from the corner of my eye,
a detective of the heart,
probing through a maze of veiled secrets—
but not to find love,
Oh, not now!
I eschew discovering it,
here and now.
I turn my gaze to the other side,
a relic that torments.
I sense my resolve wavering—
for in those eyes,
the crimson orange
of faded sunsets,
loath to embrace the dark.
I grip your hand tighter,
leaving no space for sweat.
I force a smile.
a tempest roils within my depths.
I yearn to row to our island,
but where would your heart truly anchor?
Oh, how I wish the current would engulf me in its arms.
My heart, dislodged from its mooring,
my hands, disengaged from their clasp.
I remain steadfast,
on my own two legs, burdened but unyielding,
my foot set apart from yours.
For I recall—
love cannot be unlearned,
nor can you obliterate it from a heart once captivated.