I Came This Close to Love

1. I recall, there were some early encounters
Where I stepped around love so delicately.
I traded hearts with nobody I found there,
And I thought that I might run forever free.

Then we met and we were friends from that moment.
We talked like we were long lost, it's true.
But you know, I had to pause mid-sentence
Just to catch your sweet expression,
Wond'ring, now, what angel led me to you?

2. Certain that I had to know you better
And find out just what you were made of,
I put my hands around your hand and told you,
I never thought I'd come half this close to love.

"Really," you replied from your profile,
"We have so many things to talk about."
Then you motioned out the window
To some place we could both go,
Me hoping soon our secrets would come out.

3. So we talked of song and sport and movies
And quoted every hero we thought of.
But nothing that you said there did convince me
That the things you knew the best included love.

As we walked those grassy miles past the ivy,
I thought of ways to bring our conversation home.
I told you what would make me stay,
Just a word from you today,
Just one word and I'd need no place else to roam.

4. Your round eyes grew so big at that moment,
Your breath drew in so slowly and deep.
I guessed that you had never before heard these words,
For you replied that you had promises to keep.

Now I won't hold you back none if I stay here,
But I know how much I'll miss you once I'm gone.
But it's all up to you, love,
Any way you want to do now,
'Cause our friendship's always bound to carry on.

5. You smiled and looked ahead and said, "Always.
Though time's not mine to own while I'm in school.
We'll keep in touch and you can write me often,
And we'll remember all we spoke of here, we two."

Soon you dropped me off at the downtown station,
With a kiss goodbye my heart started to pound.
So I asked myself that day,
How can I simply walk away,
Knowing all I stand to lose if we quit now?

6. It felt wrong to travel home that evening
When nothing that I wanted could be there.
But I wrote you just the way that you requested,
And I read into your words how much you cared.

But in following months the ink got scarcer,
Your answers did no longer keep us near.
So I wondered, were you busy
Or were you letting me down easy?
And what direction was there left to go from here?

7. It was funny to think as our worlds drifted
That we may not get to where we were again.
I thought it best to move on now not knowing
If you ever longed for me while we were friends.

I wanted bad for that fire to catch you;
Somehow it missed you, that bolt from above.
But in my heart I can't deny it,
Turned out to be you who decided
That I'd come so close, I came this close to love.