BURDEN
A Poem by Olivia Williams
Metal chains,
Weighing down
Blood-covered wrists.
No one has noticed or found.
Rocks on my shoulders,
Heavy and cracked,
Past repair.
Stuck in a storm of despair,
Repeated thoughts
That swarms my mind.
Tangled up in guilt,
No denying
That flicker I need
Always fades.
The people that love me
Always end up in my web of betrayals.
I scream in silence,
Either no one hears
Or no one cares.
A battle started,
With no way to win.
Fighting and fighting,
But this burden traps me within.
I feel their looks,
Always concerned.
I can't explain,
As I always blame myself, thinking,
“It’s my fault, I could have stopped it.”
I know this is what I’ve earned.
I try to speak,
And to explain,
But my burden
Drags everything—
Including my family and friends—
Farther and farther
Away.
This storm strips me of my life,
Of what I hope.
I drag them down
When I crash my boat.
One day I'll break.
They'll notice,
And fear
That I'll fall and break,
And I'll be too far beyond repair.
I push everyone close
With my smile,
Even though it's fake,
But then I push them back out.
I'm just afraid for them to see
How torn I truly am.
I want to heal,
I want to let go.
I'll always be the weight,
And the burden
That holds everyone
Apart.
Because when I share what I feel,
I tear others apart.
I burden everyone I see,
And I feel so bad.
Now I’m stuck in this loop—
Of pain, betrayal, getting help, and giving up—
With no way out.
This is my burden, always here.
I need people to listen—
PLEASE LISTEN!
PLEASE HEAR!!!