What Does Sadness Sound Like?
Poetry in free verse
Sadness sounds like the ringing of the phone’s alarm
you’re too tired to pay heed to,
and so, you casually turn it off,
roll over in bed with your blanket covering your face,
and pretend it’s okay —
that the world can function without you for a day,
that your piled-up work won’t pile up further.
(It’s only one day, isn’t it?)
Sadness sounds the constant whirr of the ceiling fan
rotating relentlessly over your head
as you stare at it tracing circles on your empty ceiling
lying in bed,
unable to fall asleep,
hearing the hours tick by.
(You’ve never been good at anything. Sleep isn’t an exception)
Sadness sounds like the crunch
of a potato cracker in your mouth,
as you sit on the couch staring at the television,
munching chips because you are still hungry
in spite of the instant noodles,
the tub of ice-cream,
the twenty bars of chocolate —
because no matter how much you eat,
you are never full.
(Maybe food cannot fill you up if your heart is empty)
