Not at first, but then...

They say you recognize your soulmate

at first meeting

a knowing deep inside that is stronger

than simply feeling

But what if soulmates are determined not just

by who, but when

a duet of parallel traveling souls turning

and leaning in

What if that knowing comes in time given

and hours spent

a realization that companionship is not a cost,

but an investment

What if it’s gently learning to shed all facades of fear

and uncertainty

tentatively casting out silken cords of fragile

deepening affinity

A soft moment of first touch, an unspoken

requesting

of fingers curling into spaces erstwhile unknown

and unseen

Life unfolds with fresh enrichment, a friendshp

morphs into more

a new light glows on the timeline that passed by

prosaically before

What if, in a moment of keen vision, you look back

and see

your soulmate has been with you

all along