It’s the merriest
time of the year
to be alive, cries all
the other sophomores,
gyrating to the beat
of Billboard hits,
and skirting their way
around sludges of
salted caramel ice cream.
Not so, for us —
whose silent screams
of desperation
are strung together
by beads of sweat.
Hands clutching
half-faded stamps,
we stand with bowed heads
on the curb
while red Cadillacs
drive past
and their tyres
spit mud.
The summer heat
falls upon us
like thick quilts
flung out of the
sixth floor window —
as we stand underneath,
smothered by the
cascade of goose feathers
and waiting for the winter
that never comes.
These words came to me on an unbelievably hot afternoon, whilst my mind was stewing on the disparity we can observe all around the world.
What if we all live through vastly different experiences, and one cannot really step into the shoes of another?
This is where poetry comes in; I believe poetry is a vehicle for empathy.
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this, you may also like 'Momentous Surprises'.
Photo Credits: Samantha Gades, Unsplash
© Joey Lim, 2020. All rights reserved.