The Girl with My Name - By Sophia Houlihan

Written By: Sophia Houlihan

Category: poetry

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the poignant poem "The Girl with My Name," Sophia Houlihan, writing as "the girl with my name," delves into the complexities of love and heartache. Featured in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, this work explores the raw emotions and intricate dynamics of relationships. Sophia's piece captures the essence of deeply felt emotions and offers a window into the personal experiences that shape our understanding of love and loss.

About the Work

The poem "The Girl with My Name" by Sophia Houlihan is a heartfelt exploration of love's abrupt arrival and the ensuing emotional turmoil. Through vivid imagery and introspective reflections, the poem captures the bittersweet essence of unreciprocated affection. Sophia's use of contrasting themes, such as public versus private heartbreak, adds depth to the narrative, inviting readers to ponder the nature of love, loss, and self-awareness.

the girl with my name

Original Submission by Sophia Houlihan

The girl with my name

They tell you

love is supposed to arrive slowly.

Like sunrise.

Like the tide.

Like something you have enough time to step away from

if you realize it's too much.

Mine didn't.

Mine broke the door down.

It looked at a man

who never promised forever

and decided forever anyway.

I loved you

far too quickly.

Far too deeply.

I built a home

inside a place

you were only ever renting.

And maybe that's on me.

Because you warned me.

Not with words.

But with hesitation.

With "I'm not ready."

With all the ways you held me close

without ever calling me yours.

Still—

we played house.

You slept beside me.

We stole mornings.

You knew how I took my coffee.

I knew the sound of your laugh

before it escaped your chest.

We became something

that had all the bones of love

without ever letting ourselves

call it that.

Maybe that's why it hurt so much.

Because you can't mourn

something that never officially existed.

Not out loud.

Not without someone saying,

"Well... what did you expect?"

Then we ended.

Not because we hated each other.

Not because we stopped caring.

Just because...

I wanted a future.

And you couldn't give me one.

That should've been the end.

But heartbreak

is rarely kind enough

to stop there.

Because almost immediately—

there she was.

The new girl.

Ironically...

she has my name.

You didn't know that.

Of course you didn't.

The universe just has a sick sense of humour.

She's everything

I tell myself I'm not.

She doesn't work with you.

She gets to leave

without everyone watching.

She's prettier.

Quieter.

Probably kinder.

The kind of woman

who doesn't accidentally love people

like it's an emergency.

And every shift...

I watch you kiss her goodbye.

Like I used to imagine

you'd kiss me.

Every shift,

I become an expert

at looking away

half a second too late.

You don't notice.

Or maybe you do.

Maybe that's worse.

It's strange.

The hardest part

isn't that you moved on.

You were always allowed to.

The hardest part

is that my heartbreak

doesn't get to be private.

It happens

under fluorescent lights.

Behind a bar.

In front of coworkers

who knew there was a we

long before we admitted it.

People who watched us

steal glances,

linger after shifts,

laugh a little too long.

Now they watch you

kiss someone else.

And I can't even leave.

I just have to smile.

Take another order.

Wipe down another table.

Pretend my chest

isn't caving in

three feet away.

Heartbreak isn't always quiet.

Sometimes it's public.

Sometimes it feels

like humiliation.

Like everyone gets front row seats

to the moment

you realize

you were never the one

who got to stay.

Sometimes grief

wears a name tag

and clocks in at five.

Sometimes it smiles at customers

while the man it loved

walks past

holding someone else's hand.

I loved you.

Not perfectly.

Not wisely.

But completely.

And now...

there's this awful emptiness

where certainty used to live.

I still go to work.

You still smile.

She still kisses you goodbye.

And I stand there,

trying not to look.

Trying not to let anyone see

that every goodbye

feels like it's happening to me

all over again.

The cruel part isn't that you found someone else.

It's that I have to witness it.

Day after day.

Until one morning

I stop flinching—

or I finally become

a stranger

to the girl

who once believed

she might have been

your home.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar celebrates the art of storytelling through words. It is a platform for writers to share their unique voices and connect with audiences worldwide. This prestigious competition showcases diverse literary talents, offering a space for poets and writers to explore and express their creative visions.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Sophia Houlihan for sharing her evocative poem "The Girl with My Name" with us. Your participation in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 enriches the tapestry of voices and stories that inspire and move us. Thank you, Sophia, for your contribution to this celebration of literary art.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.