A Heart in Exile

By Tamanna Gupta

What is this pain that makes me shallow

from inside

after crying all the tears last night

I stand in the crowd with the

brightest smile,

what have I done?

The screams are deafening

with the silence taking over,

The barricades of love trip us with guilt

Am I selfish for wanting their care?

Oh to be loved for once

and not be an option.

But I have grown up with loneliness

inside my heart

that beats rapidly when shown attention

If I beg for it,

will it ever be mine?

Hurt has always been my friend

Darkness, the one that envelopes me

in its arms.

To be cradled in tight winds

to be learning from battles

to be able to stand up alone

I grew up in the environment

with the presence of hunters

always there.

By Tamanna Gupta