It was not the beast alone
that hollowed the soul,
but the silence
that made a chamber for it.

The silence of fathers
who looked away.
The silence of mothers
who smoothed the tablecloth
and spoke of other things.
The silence of friends
who chose comfort
over confrontation.

Every unspoken word
became a shroud.
Every careful pause
became a nail.
Every smile that denied
became another grave.

The beast feasted,
not only on wounds inflicted,
but on truths unspoken,
on the complicity
of quiet mouths.

And so silence
killed more surely than rage,
for rage at least
named what was broken,

but silence gave it a home.

The deadliest weapon
that lays in the hands
    of Death  itself
    is not the sword;

but the silence sharpened
     against the soul.

I have within me
a thousand year's worth of want —
and an empty bed

I loved you
back in 8th grade

I sent a secret note for you
and you took it
and my feelings grew

but then it got revealed
my number, my name
everything

all your friends contacted me
wanting to know who I was

you said it was an accident
that they stole it and didn't give it back
but you still wanted to know me

I was relieved and hurt
I didn't control my feelings
and I told you it was the wrong number and person

and till this day I regret it
I wished I told you the truth
that it was me

Now I see you everywhere
and I cant help but to still love you  

I still love you

where do all the stolen smiles go?
are they gone forever?
or are they fighting for freedom
from persecution.

Do not listen to the beating of my heart;
listen , instead, to the hearts of others.
Do not feel the passion in my hands;
feel, instead, the passion in your lover's palms.
Do not absolve all my misgivings;
forgive, instead, the wrongs of all others.
Do not see the beauty in my mirror;
see it, instead, in 8,000,000,000 others.

TOD HOWARD HAWKS

I saw you
and the day began to glow,
heavy clouds broke open,
pouring sunlight into my soul.

Each time our eyes meet,
I am lifted into a fleeting sky,
where time drifts softly,
and even the wind learns to sigh.

Dear one, I confess
I think I’ve fallen,
and now I dare to cradle
this tender warmth,
once frozen in me,
now awakened by you.

A fire that will not wither,
A light that will not fade,
you are the sun within my sky,
the forever my heart has made.

Everyone has a past.
Some bad
Some great
Everyone has one though

Everyone also has a future if we let them;
Not everyone gets a future

One day you're laughing at them
The next day they aren't there for you to laugh at
No one realizes the extent of bullying until they take it
                                                                            Too
                                                                       Far.
No one knows what anyone is going through until someone takes it
                                                                                                 Too
                                                                                            Far.
Learn from your mistakes right?
Not everyone gets that chance.

Not everyone gets a future because bullies take things
                                                                           Too
                                                                      Far.

I may seem stoic in this new situation
and for a while I was fine
then it hit me like a truck
my heart was the only casualty
tears threatened to spill
but I kept them at bay
I'm an adult
but I'll always miss my parents
I just want to hug them goodnight
but 2 and a half hours of driving separate us
I may seem stoic in this new situation
but on the inside my heart aches for them
stoicism is just a mask for the internal havoc of emotions

I will die for you,
lie for you,
get naked, and sprawl my heart
wide   for   you.

I was born to love,
But love never stayed.
I was born to care,
But my care decayed.

I wanted arms,
I wanted a name —
But silence answered,
And I took the blame.

Now on my deathbed,
the truth won't hide:
I lived unloved,
And unloved, I die.

who the hell is an illegal
asylum seeker, anyway,
on a boat crossing the channel
with his heart in his throat
thinking, surely britain
is better than this   ..

staring at a screen
it says ‘bad gateway’
what does it mean?

I don't know
but I've seen this before
that's why I'm in
survival mode
it's gonna be okay
I'll just take the next road
left

writing poems...
in my head

I've been lately writing poetry!
Oh? What do I see?
A perfect poetry site waiting for me!
First poem, proud of it!
Oh? Someone in my messages?
This guy seems sweet
And he's hoping I don't get beat!
Pretty songs for me to listen to!
And a drunk man messaging me...?
“You're only making yourself a victim because you're cutting yourself"
Oh? Okay- thanks for the paragraph/drunk rant?

Shining lights on all of my latest poems?
Thank you! You're so sweet!
….oh…talking to me about pedophiles…got it…
Why are there so many sad songs?
WHY DOES THIS MAN HAVE SO ****** MUSIC TASTE AGGGHGDGFGCC

Oh? You wrote a poem about the 764 and absolutely humiliating them?
Great! Good job!
…But uhh… why and how did they make a virus only going after your followers that are minors? Not funny!
Why is this man warning me if they threaten me? Is he trying to make me scared on purpose?
Blaming the Japanese for this virus now, huh?
Oh? Now blaming someone else named Pax to be part of the 764? Crazy

…. going to another website? But you're so fun!
May as well click on the link you sent me so I can join you

Drunk rants with me? That's okay!
Giving me gold so I can freely make poems?
THANK YOU SM
Daily texting
2-10 hour sessions
Why are you drinking everyday?
You're making me concerned for your health
I told you to stop drinking, papa
You promised me you'd stop
All you did was keep on drinking

Commenting on every poem I made
Oh? So suddenly I'm a “nasty *****" when I have done nothing to you? ありがとう!
We have a suicide pact now?
I'm going off the bridge first?
Don't mind if I do

Oh? Another poetry site? Okay…
I really don't like the way this site works, can't we just message each other with email?
Yes? Yay!

People bullying you on the internet? That's not okay!
Why would they accuse you of being a *******?
Letting me join an uncensored group to back you up? Great!
Sending me to a Reddit page to back you up?
Alright!
….oh … they warned me and I didn't do anything….
******* this man is an actual *******…..
gotta go fast like Sonic
pack my bags and leave

Oh? I betrayed you? Crazy
We were just friends
Can you stop spitting my name everywhere?
It's like you're so obsessed with me
Stop trying to be the Eminem to my Mariah Carey
Made a poem about you and you HAD to take it down?
Never thought you'd want to hide your identity THAT hard
Oh? Betting on my suicide now, are we?
Sending me multiple emails, desperate for me to come back to him?
I'm not that ******* naive or gullible
It's crazy if you think that about me
…I did tell you to send those photos of your cut open arms but I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND DO IT

Being racist?
“Japshit”?
Why are you so obsessed with my Chinese genes?
“I thought I can use Kai because of her Chinise genes because the Chinise was known to be very good spies. ☝️🤓" へー! Didn't know that!
Also, that's not how you spell Chinese, my fellow kind sir
Threatening people to come to America with a Katana and slice us to pieces
So envious, I see
You're just mad because we have a little bit more freedom than your drunk *** does

Oh…. Talking to me about ****
Got it
Thanks
I didn't need to be taught about METART or some **** like that
I'm only 12 years old
You ***** *****

Well…this is the aftermath

Death, whose guise is end to sorrow,
sells salvation 'til tomorrow.

My final letter:
An elegy to friendship,
A knife in your back.

My solace is in your laughter,
In your kindness,
In your heart.

My touch-starved soul yearns
To return to your embrace,
To come home.

it feels so odd,
to no longer run to you,
telling you everything,
the way I used to.

Her

Don’t look up,
Don’t look there,
Keep your eyes closed,

...what was that sound?
that flicker–
that light–
Did I shut the door?

I can’t breathe,
I can’t see,
Is she–
Is she near?

Over there,
Over here,
Right here,
Too close,

Close your eyes,
Tighter,
Tighter,

Don’t open,
Don’t open,

Don’t
Look
Up

When you
Trapped in triangle
The default
Is to panic
The chance to escape
Down to
Terrible angles
Bounce sharp
And hard
Off of
Acute dense sides
Then sink
As pulp
As gravity
Revives.

Let it Mingle in Green,
With the Feeling of Optimism within.
I eavesdrop the Hilly waterfall,
As the birds give a random call.
The Nature is a Mystery,
Astonishing heap of Treasury.
From Sunny to Cloudy,
Each form represents beauty.
The Mountains Stand tall,
Shadows they provide overall.
Fresh Water Flows down,
Quenching the Thirst we Prone.
Blend of Multiple Shades,
Nature is indeed a Wonderful Maze!

© Biswarupa Purkayastha.

Your future shines bright from the heavens
I wish you'd see it for yourself
But instead, I watch your sad eyes look back
on pasts and regrets
and also continue on with a smile

make-up here
makeup there
following the trends
next week it'll end
shopping to spend
daddy's money to rent
a fake smile
a clear skin
no underchin
jewelry and rings

so boys will see
straight from afar

what a dream you are…

fake

I hear "goodbye"

while you say

"stay another mile"

but girlie
don't you see
you're running a marathon

with high heels sweetie

It began in silence,
The kind that bruises,
The kind that teaches you
How pain can wear a smile.

It wasn't pretty like the movies
It was ugly
Like what they did to me
A cruelty
I would never place
On anyone's skin.

Bt even broken
I gather myself
Rising from what tried to end me
Proofing that pain
Cannot silence light
Still burning in me.

Come closer to me, sit here, under this tree, here is a bird singing and a pink flower that never lies. Come, reach out and shake my hand. Come closer to me, and remove all the leaves of distance and gray veils. Come, let's sing of love, and write a poem on this beautiful night. Our hearts are warm and full of dreams. Come and sit; don't stay standing, for my eyes are tired from tears and my heart is tired of waiting. Come, warm yourself with tales of love, for our souls are pure rivers that never know cold. Come closer to me, let's write a new story.

I have been told
I speak too much
to be ignored.

At home,
I replay my day,
wincing
at every door my mouth opened
that maybe should've stayed shut.

Writing is the only room
where I am not wrong
for filling the air.

Today,
a someone said
I am good with words.
She doesn't usually read
other people's captions-
but she reads mine.

One small compliment
and I am lighter.

Maybe my words are wanted,
maybe they are not noise.
Maybe I am not
too much.

In a sunflower—

in tomatoes ripened red,
in a jolly yellow lemon
adored among darling green leaves.

In a cloud of dust in a draught,
In a drop of water pouring on an ice cube,

Oh God-

in her loveliest dimples,
in the lushest lily pond of Monet’s,

we had it all—

the best moments of life.

Vast, infinite, uncontainable,
formidable love.

For me,
in the chilling wind of winter.

The road felt like a maze,
Not knowing the destination.
Taking wrong ways,
That crumbled midway.

I joined a rally,
They felt sure of the way.
A place reached,
Few faces grew bright.

Not felt right I resumed
Seen some doing same
Some stayed behind -
Faces dim

Will I reach it
Before my ride gives away?

Working
To pay the gas
To get to work

You don't need me
but I need you
You don't like me
but I like you

You don't know that
but what if you do
would you like me or not?
would you see me or not?
would you need me or not?

would it make a difference?
would it change your preference?
I guess probably not