Author’s Note

This piece came from the frustration of being misunderstood — from people assuming I give attention freely or that I’m drowning in affection I don’t actually receive. The truth is, I love deliberately. I give slowly. I’m intentional with my emotional presence, and I’m careful with my heart. This poem is a reminder that not all love is loud or scattered; some of us choose where we pour ourselves, and it’s never accidental.

Carved From Intention
Poetry by Rowan Evans

It’s kind of wild how
some people assume,
I’ve got attention from
every direction.
Like I’ve got love
being thrown at me.
But that’s not true,
and even if it was—
it wouldn’t matter much.
Because love to me,
doesn’t mean
what love means
to them.

It’s even weirder how
people assume
that I just give attention.
Like I don’t do
what I do
with any real thought
or intention.
They swear I’m drowning
in affection,
as if every soft word
ever spoken near me
belongs to me.

But I don’t scatter pieces
of myself like confetti—
I give slowly, deliberately,
to the few my soul
bends toward.
They think I’m easy to reach,
but I’m not.
I’m cautious.
I’m careful.
I’m carved from intentions
people rarely notice.

Maybe that’s why
the attention they imagine
feels hollow to me—
it’s not the kind I want,
not the kind I give,
not the kind I’d stay for.

Looking for more poetry? You can find it all in the Library of Ashes.