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An unrequited love is sad they say.
It hides alone within a timid heart,
Its hidden secret never to impart.
A chance for love is but a word away,
But both are silent, so a price to pay.
For not a word by either when they part
They’re fated for eternity apart.
A love that never sees the light of day,
As one or both not brave to take a chance,
A poem writ, or just a moment shared,
A sign of love to show how much one cared,
A whisper heard or just a knowing glance.
Alas, no pure undying love declared,
And thus perhaps was lost a sweet romance.
© Dennis N. O’Brien, 2011
dnobrienpoetry 
Both pieces are excellent, but as a fan of the old 14-liner I have to say that is a beautifully crafted Sonnet Dennis …I hope this wasn’t written from too personal an experience…
Thanks Marty, well I did have experiences (one in particular) of unrequited love long long ago, but I think it’s a normal part of growing up, if a little sad perhaps. it’s the bitter sweet that makes life interesting.
With regard to sonnets, they seem to have survived where other traditional verse hasn’t (in the so called main stream free verse that is), although apparently it’s still seen as radical behaviour to write a sonnet these days.
Well done! No telling how many youths pined away in love without expressing it. We grow bolder as we grow older.
Thanks Dennis and true words.
The sonnet is wonderful! Unrequited love and lost love expressed with regret and gracefulness. Anyone who does not love sonnets is beyond me, of course. Although I write some free verse, the old forms are still the heart of poetry, the songs that play sense against discipline and craft and force the poet to reach for a depth that cannot be achieved easily otherwise. That does not mean that Walt Whitman or Theodore Roethke did not write musical free verse. I have performed both before audiences, bringing out the power of their song, but an ode or a sonnet or even simple iambic pentameter, well written, demand of the poet a special sauce that can, and sometimes does, enlighten the universe. Please keep writing sonnets, Dennis.
Thanks Thomas, your comments are much appreciated and yes, I will continue to write sonnets and I’m sure you will do the same. I look forward to reading more of yours.
Dennis, I can certainly relate to this poem! Brings back some old dreams, old memories (and some new!)
Re: the sonnet – they continue to live – through poetry such as yours and a few others here. (And even with free verse I like to hear “music” – meter, rhythm, when read aloud…) You’re a master craftsman with formal poetry and I’m a big admirer of yours. Bring on the iambic pentameter!!
Thanks Betty, glad you liked the poetry and yes sonnets are nice and a bit of a challenge to write. Thanks for the other comments, the feeling is mutual.
Both of these are really lovely.
I particularly like the sonnet – maybe one day I may have enough poetry under my belt to attempt one; we shall see. You have a great talent
Life is about taking risks or we will never know what could have been – in love and in poetry!
Christine
Indeed Christine, so have a go, I’m sure there’s a sonnet in there waiting to be set free. 🙂
Again, I enjoy the approach of showing us two works with the same theme, but using different forms. Always interesting how the forms form the content–that is, lead us to particular ways of presenting the ideas and the coloring and textures of them that make them each time unique. Like doing the same drawing in graphite and then in colored oil pastels.
Appreciate your comments Kathryn.