I Don't Love You

You know I don’t love you.
Never have, never will.
You ask me why,
And I say, “I can’t.”
You ask again
So I’ll tell you now:

I don’t know.

Not really.
Maybe I know;
But I’m afraid.
What if I mean it?
What if I don’t?

I don’t love you
Because you are,
Too fat, too thin,
Too rich, too poor,
Too stupid, too brilliant,
Too giving, too selfish,
Too ugly, too beautiful,
Too confident, too fearful,
Too quiet, too loud,
Too happy, too sad,
Too weak, too strong.

You are to me
Everything I’ve dreamed,
Nothing I imagined,
All I’ve ever wanted,
Not what I need.

You always seem . . .
Larger than life
Overpowering me,
Afraid of your shadow
Not protecting me.
You love too deeply,
Overwhelming me.
You don’t love enough,
Starving me.

You live
Between the lines.
You see now why
I don’t love you.
Never have, never will.
So don’t ask me anymore.
Believe me when I say
I can’t tell you.