A Bittersweet Dream
written by: Parvathy Sukumar
@Parvathyfeb27
“What is life?” I’ve often heard people ask,
Some say it is a fun-filled ride with the people they love,
While for some it is a rollercoaster of ups and downs,
Never did I take part in these frivolous thoughts,
When all I had was queries they could never find answers to.
I don’t remember the day I left my hopes behind,
The dream is to have a peaceful and vibrant life.
I don’t look behind to ponder upon what I’ve achieved,
When it will help us to dig up my regrets and losses.
To the fraternity who loves to intrude into my this and that,
“Can you teach someone to live like a normal being?”
Never did I stop living though it gave me nothing to dream about,
My life, for now, is nothing but like a cascading river,
Flowing through the coarse path without a pause,
I never knew when it slipped through my hands,
For now, I cannot see where my life is headed.
I met a stranger who posed to be my well-wisher for life,
They came as a group to lure me into their den,
To make me a part of their never-ending drama.
I was clueless and scared to be a part of the new world,
For all it can be nothing but a charade to trap me in.
Before I knew it, I had started playing a new role for them,
And they welcomed me with a smile coated on their lips.
For once I felt content with my life and the way it turned out to be,
When I started to live like every other human on Earth,
Feeling nothing but bliss with every step I take forward.
Amidst the cheers, I failed to see the crumbling walls around me,
And that is when the reality started to crawl into my life,
Nothing was the same anymore, neither the smiles nor the hopes,
I stood there helplessly forming a bead of sweat on my forehead,
As I watched the life I built turned into a speck of dust.
I have always heard people asking to hope for the mountain,
Only then can you reach till the foot for the very least,
Where did I go wrong in my life, when I did not have a dream so big,
All I wished was a life filled with starry nights and colorful dreams,
“Was it too big for a dream?” was all I could ask myself.
I looked into the eyes of the stranger who promised me his life,
There was nothing left for me to question him about,
His pair of eyes devoid of emotions spoke louder than words,
There was nothing for me to hope for anymore,
Other than to go with the flow and never utter a word.
I kept my word and I still carry my life the way it has to be,
Just like I promised them with a smile never leaving my lips.
I buried the thorns of my life within me for the sake of my people,
I smile even as they poke and make me bleed from the inside,
For I know that my smile is what keeps my folk alive and strong.
- The Haunting Silence - March 1, 2024
- A Bittersweet Dream - May 31, 2023
- The Girl in My Dream - November 30, 2021
