Aug 5, 2021
THIS TIME
Listen to me. Take a deep breath. Unclench your jaw. Open your fists. Turn your phone off. Relax your shoulders. I know that this country, this world, all of us are on fire And that you are filled with this hopeless dread One that seems so familiar, like it had just brushed past you A little while ago and is back with a vengeance, but... Listen to me Listen when I say that you have incredible power in your hands And your voice and your soul But that it’s okay to feel powerless, that it’s okay to take a break. Listen to me. Don’t compare your grief to the grief of someone who has lost Their loved ones. Their pain might be greater on some Undefined scale, yes, but your pain is just as valid. You are valid, and so is the inexplicable volcano bubbling inside you That just wants to burst and find some magic button to end this all But you listen to me Listen when I say that you are not made up of pieces That you have to hold together, shabbily put together with Duct tape and willpower Listen to me when I say that it’s okay to let go It’s okay to open your window or your front door or go out To your terrace and just scream fuck you! Cuss our whoever you want to, because yes, this is unfair Yes, this is out of your hands Yes, this is horrible and painful and uncontrollable And yes, you are allowed your share of that pain. Listen to me I haven’t stepped out of the house in god knows how long But I’ve made peace with that because I’ve learnt so many New things I’ve learnt that my father has a secret stash of jokes that He reserves only for when things get really bad I’ve learnt that my mother has a happy dance that she does That makes me want to get up and dance with her even If there is no music on I’ve learnt that my dog loves being scratched on the bridge Of his nose and that I am the person he always loves Sitting next to And I know that having learnt all these things isn’t going To save the world, but that’s okay Because listen. That when everything goes back to normal and the fires are put out, You’ll be glad you gave yourself some time to slow down.