One wall apart
You’re in the next room
And like every other night
It ended with a fight
A slam of the door
Both yours and ours
We’re safely tucked
In the thin navy blue blanket
Eyes wide, lying on the bed
Tears streaming down our faces
Holding our breaths
Believing you thought
We’re asleep
Like how you believe
We thought you’re safe
When really, our pain
Was just one wall apart
Were our efforts futile?
Was hiding the truth
In the name of protecting you
Better than the comforts
Of an embrace?
Now, we’re one wall apart
Your back against the wall
Our ears pressed against it
Ignoring our freezing feet
Because even then, we knew,
It was incomparable to your suffering
Was the wall to be blamed
For the sense of isolation
Or were we in a silent competition
Of pretending that everything
Was still picture perfect?
Listen carefully
Do you hear that?
Through the wall of our flat
Is the sound of two beating hearts
Breaking along with yours
Do you feel that?
Beneath the coldness of the wall
Is the heat of our hands, though small
Hoping against all odds
To provide you with some warmth
Were our efforts futile?
Was hiding the truth
In the name of protecting you
Better than the comforts
Of an embrace?
Now, we’re one wall apart
Your back against the wall
Our ears pressed against it
Ignoring our freezing feet
Because even then, we knew,
It was incomparable to your suffering
We knew, we knew all along
The non-existence of perfection
The wall became our connection
To your pain and ours
We were, after all, only one wall apart
Just a poem that reminisces the more difficult moments of my life with my mom 'cuz it's Mother's day and all. It's been a while since I last posted and as per usual, it's a depressing poem. Hope it's alright! Leave a comment to let me know what y'all think!
-Jo
YOU ARE READING
One wall apart
Poetry❝She thought we thought she was fine. But she was wrong. We all were. ❞
