Listen Before I Go

This has possible character death. Lines that end with a / mean it's the end of a stanza. There are five stanzas. Yes, I wrote this poem. I am not sorry for the tears you shed if you shed any. Hope you enjoy.

The assignment was to write a poem for English class. Ichigo hadn't thought much about it, thinking of how to structure it. The teacher said not to worry about the rhyme scheme since there's such a thing as free verse poetry. Ichigo believed it would be easy. There was no rhyme or meter set for them either.

  Ichigo sits at his desk, writing the poem right then and there. It's funny, he's able to spill his feelings into the poem better than he would ever be able to verbally or physically. The former shinigami wears a ghost of a smile once he finishes. He rereads it, changes up a bit of the lines and makes sure that he spelt the words correctly. He places it in the folder and lies down in his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

  Memories play in his head, of the battles, of the deaths, of everything he went through and learned.

  He never did get any answers from his father.

  Too late now; he doesn't have a reason to know.

  It's funny.

  His entire life is a complete joke.

  Kurosaki Ichigo was a Shinigami, or better known as a Shinigami Substitute (he could have been more seeing as his father is a full blown Shinigami).

  Tap-tap-tapping.

  Silence. It's been his new comfort.

  The house is quiet. Where are his sisters? Where is his dad? No loud laughter, pans knocking against each other, or the sounds of pitter-patter of feet. Nothing. He's completely alone in the house.

  Can he still call the house home?

"Sorry,"

  Does he have the right to apologize? Surely not. He shouldn't even apologize for an observation.

  No. He's not the one apologizing. They should be the ones to apologize. Ichigo didn't do anything wrong! He didn't do anything wrong! All this? He did it for them.

  So, no, he shouldn't be the one to apologize. This is not him apologizing. It's them.

  They are the ones apologizing to him.

You say but where were you?

  That's right. They've apologized constantly. They apologized with each excuse they made. They apologized for some insignificant reasons, but where have they been? Where are they? Why did they leave him? Surely, he can't be so useless now?

  Surely, he isn't that easy to get rid of.

  He thought wrong.

  They are never there when he needs them—needed them. He always fought himself for what they needed. But, was that really their fault when he threw himself head on? Some of the time, it was his fault. Yet, the whole Aizen thing? It was not in his interests until they made it. Why couldn't Aizen have just directed his tantrum to the reapers and left Karakura out of it?

How many times do I have to cry blue?

  When was the last time he cried? He can't remember.

  Ichigo stares at the page, frowning at his writing.

  He has cried recently, right? Broke down in the shower? Has he done that recently?