A Love of My Lifetime

By Ansh Rustagi

I write this now, my final rhyme,

For you, my love, my one last time.

Not to claim you, not to bind,

But to leave my heart, my soul behind.

You were never mine, in truth or right,

A star that burned in another's night.

But even so, in silence, I knew—

That you were meant for me, too.

A love that wasn’t mine to hold,

Yet in my heart, a story bold.

I loved you with a depth so wide,

Even when you stood on the other side.

You were the dream I couldn’t chase,

A light I’d follow, yet never embrace.

You were the melody in my silent song,

The part of me that felt so strong.

I cannot call you “mine,” you see,

But you were everything to me.

A love so pure, it could not be,

Bound by time or space or plea.

You taught me what love truly means,

Not the fire, not the fleeting scenes,

But in the quiet moments, soft and true,

Love is knowing when to let go of you.

You were my lifetime, my breath, my pain,

The sunshine after all the rain.

The one who showed me how to fall,

Without a promise, without a call.

And now, as I part from you this way,

I carry you in my heart each day.

Not to possess, but to cherish still,

A love that lingers against my will.

What is love, if not this ache?

A fleeting touch, a soft heartbreak.

It’s not the holding, not the claim,

But the letting go, still saying your name.

So here, I write my final line,

Not to keep you, but to let you shine.

You were a love, a life, a dream—

A part of me, though unseen.

And though I leave you,

I leave with grace,

For you will always have a place.

A love of mine, forever true,

Even if it never belonged to you.

By Ansh Rustagi