How Can It Be Poem –Unspoken Feelings and Quiet Jealousy
- Deborah Ann Martin
- Apr 4
- 2 min read
When You Care for Someone Who Doesn’t Feel the Same
This poem was written from a very real place in my life.
There was someone I cared about deeply but those feelings weren’t returned the way I hoped.
He wasn’t mine. I wasn’t his.
And yet, I still felt jealous when I saw him with someone else.
It wasn’t dramatic.
There wasn’t a breakup or betrayal.
Just that quiet ache when your heart wants something that your head knows you can’t have.
This poem came out of that emotion.
How Can It Be
How is jealousy in me
I know I am not his
I know he is not mine
In everyday dealings
There can be no feelings
From Love and Heartache Moments: Healing Poems After Divorce and Breakups
Part of the Life Moments Series
© 2025 Deborah Ann Martin. All rights reserved.
Reflection on Unspoken Feelings Are Still Real
This poem may be short, but the emotion behind it is raw and real.
Sometimes we develop feelings for someone, even when we know there’s no future, no shared romance, no “us.”
And still…
A moment of jealousy creeps in. You feel it in your stomach. In your chest. In your eyes as they look away.
It doesn’t make you weak.
It doesn’t make you silly.
It makes you human.
Whether you're still holding onto feelings or trying to let go, remember:
Even unspoken love deserves compassion.
The Style Behind the Words
Poetry Style Name: Micro free verse
Structure and Form: 5 short lines with no set rhyme or punctuation
Tone: Quiet, restrained, vulnerable
Poetic Devices:
Minimalism: Captures emotion with few words
Juxtaposition: “I know he is not mine” vs “jealousy in me”
Theme: Unspoken love, emotional boundaries, hidden jealousy
Reading Level: Middle school and up accessible and emotionally relatable
Explore More Love and Heartache Moments
Pick Me Up Poem is just one of many poems in Love and Heartache Moments: Healing Poems After Divorce and Breakups.
It’s a journey from devastation to rediscovery and you're invited to walk with me through every poem.
About the Life Moments Series
How Can It Be is one of many poems in Love and Heartache Moments: Healing Poems After Divorce and Breakups.
This book walks through every stage of heartache from the quiet pain of feelings left unreturned to the courage to move forward.
References
Love and Heartache Moments: Healing Poems After Divorce and Breakups, Deborah Ann Martin, 2025.
Deborah Ann Martin Amazon Author Central Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/deborahamartin
About the Author:
Deborah Ann Martin is the founder of Surviving Life Lessons, a published author, poet, speaker, and trainer with over 20 years of management experience across multiple industries. An MBA graduate, U.S. veteran, single mother, and rare cancer survivor, Deborah brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her writing on resilience, leadership, personal growth, and overcoming adversity. Her mission is to empower others with practical wisdom and real-life insight to navigate life’s challenges with strength and purpose.
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