It Had Been a Rough Week
written by: Arun Vijay
I saw a bird trying to fly
with one wing broken.
I saw a dog in search of
his owner.
I saw a child trying to hold his father’s hand,
but all he got was a scolding to “be a man.”
I saw a couple trying to say “I love you” to each other,
but all they said were things that pained them.
I saw a hand, walking alone,
looking for its partner on the elevator railing.
I saw a photographer crying
because his best shot got lost
due to “storage full” error.
I saw a musician lying flat on the earth to hide
his embarrassment.
I saw a man throwing his favourite tie
into the trash. He kissed it
before letting it go.
I saw a girl squeezing her eyes shut
when fireworks lit up the sky.
I saw a lost diary at a bus stop.
Front page open. A note inside.
“Please burn it.”
I couldn’t do so.
I saw a man convincing a woman to take his phone
and tell his family that he died, leaving
his phone behind.
The woman did so.
I saw two kids enacting Jesus
on the cross. They used stapler
to nail each other.
And laughed.
I saw a tree with a note stuck to it.
“If you need to cut me, cut me when you are not standing in my shadow.”
So they cut the branches first.
I saw a kid in dark sunglasses, crying
with tears –
“But you can all see the rain. Not fair.”
I saw a man stealing coins
from a blind beggar’s bowl. Silently mouthing
“Sorry.” Tears
streaming down his face.
I saw a man clutching his cry
With a fist in his mouth.
The bite marks screamed
louder.
And then I came back.
Ate my food.
Washed the dishes.
Did my skincare.
Talked to family.
Laughed.
And slept.
Without dreams.
- It Had Been A Rough Week - August 25, 2026
