I love you in secret

I met you some years ago in a crowded bar
You said hello and smiled, and it lit up the dark
You stood happy beside me for the entire night
I knew it was perfect, things were finally right

Your lover was near but just far enough away
For me to pretend that you were mine for a day
I dreamed up a romance and gave you the lead part
But kept it locked safely in the deep of my heart

As the years ticked by slowly, my secret grew dim
I knew in my bones that you would always love him
I loved you in secret letting our friendship grow
I guarded my heart, so that you would never know

Yours was the model love I compared others to
But all fell short, I must have been waiting for you
A few short months ago, your relationship died
It was time to show you, no more reason to hide

But in my soul, an echo that cant be unheard
You loved him completely, no matter how I yearned
The model betrays me, I can't love you in fear
I'll love you in secret, so I can keep you near

-Shane Joseph Kroll