This poem does not speak of holding on.
It speaks of courage.
The 2nd reflection on Love reminds us that loving
also means preparing to lose —
so that fear of loss does not turn love
into a demand to stay
when hope is already gone.
This poem lives just before that moment.
It speaks to those moments when we overthink tenderness,
when we doubt warmth,
when we flee not because love isn’t there,
but because it is.
Love Is
Splinters, a mind dissenting
against being loved.
Believing love,
a fairy tale
or horror story,
but not much in between.
What we want.
What the world tells us
we want.
With little understanding of how to hold on.
How to accept a smile.
How to reach out.
Take a chance.
Trust the the inner
tug of gut feelings.
Love is undefinable,
but it doesn’t need to be.
If they ask you to dance, do it.
If they hold you in a way
that makes your skin tingle,
don’t pull away.
When it’s time to get on the plane.
Dont let fear make you flee.
🪞 Sometimes, love isn’t asking for certainty.
It’s asking whether we’re willing to stay.
About the Author
Tangled Words writes with rare honesty about love, fear, and the quiet moments where we hesitate between staying and fleeing. Her words don’t explain emotions — they name them. Softly. Directly. Without armor.
Her poetry lives in that fragile space where instinct speaks before certainty, where love is felt long before it is understood.
If this poem resonated, it’s likely because Tangled Words speaks a language your body already knows.
🤍 Support & Follow
If you’d like to explore more of this voice, I warmly encourage you to follow Tangled Words on Substack and support their work.
Following, reading, and sharing are simple gestures — but they keep honest writing alive.
With clarity,
The Mirror Room
Odel A.
 | A guest post by
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Thanks for writing this I take from it not losing the opportunity of love because of fear
Beautiful work! I love this!