Unheard

By Aditi Penumatcha

Is it me? When I speak,

I can feel my mouth moving,

But maybe it makes no sound,

Or maybe this world,

Does not have ears,

For when I speak, it does not seem to hear,

I say that I am tired,

That I can’t go on anymore,

But they say I have to do it,

That I have to keep going on,

Do not give up do not rest,

Do not sleep do not dream,

All you have to do is work they said,

And all they are is voices in my head,

I tried and tried to tell them,

But every time I spoke, they heard something else,

I say I am tired, and I have to find another way,

All they try to do is make me stay,

Am I speaking an alien script?

Sometimes even I do not understand what I am saying,

I say ‘stop’ they hear ‘go’,

Did I learn the language wrong?

I am not a machine,

No matter how much I try to be,

I cannot remain here,

And they cannot see,

Help me run away I ask,

At every eleven-eleven,

Help me see a bright day I ask,

To help me reach my heaven,

All I want is peace I say,

And all they give me is turmoil,

All I want is to leave I say,

But they keep making my blood boil,

And now I have anger,

All I see and hear is red,

And all I am now is danger,

I will not rest till these voices are dead,

Who do I hurt, what do I break,

To make these feeling go away,

Because now I feel something soaking my face,

My eyes are burning, and it will not go away,

My face feels warm,

My palms are damp,

I cannot read,

I cannot stand,

I cannot see,

I cannot hear,

And all I want,

Is to disappear,

But what I want doesn’t matter,

My voice they will never hear,

But I keep praying for my heaven,

That my grey and rainy skies,

Would one day be bright and clear.

By Aditi Penumatcha