Very Bad Archive
Back and Forth
Amrita Gupta
Night after night,
Week after week,
Year after year,
We do not sleep.
We are not at peace.
We pace
Constantly
Along a linoleum floor,
Pondering what could have been.
Back and forth.
The moon shines bright
On our tearstained,
Frustrated,
Desperate
Faces.
The mournful clacks
Against the linoleum floor
Of boots we never took off
And set by the front door
Alert only the light sleepers to
Our presence.
The others dream on,
Oblivious.
The ones we've awakened
Try to put their soft hands
Across our shoulders,
To stroke our hair,
To make us cry
And pour out our heart.
They tempt us.
We push them away,
Furious.
We hate them!
They will not let us be!
We regret ever trusting them.
We wish to go back to the past,
When we had power.
Power!
Power...
Power over our own lives,
Our own futures!
Now that is gone,
And we are helpless.
We regret trusting!
Death is kinder than this!
The wise say ignorance is bliss,
And our friends that are sleeping
Will never know
Our hidden heartbreak,
The secret turmoil that
Blisters our heart
And makes us silently scream,
Mercy!
They will never realize
That ignorance is bliss,
And appreciate their happiness.
They will never hear us pacing,
When we should be sleeping.
Back and forth,
Back and forth.
Amrita Gupta has published 2 more terrible poems since joining on 30/11/99. Read more of Amrita's terrible poetry at the anthology. Here are three of Amrita's latest works: