She Never Learned

by

She was so concerned about being
A good girl to her parents,
A good mother to her children,
A good wife to a husband,
A good cog in the machine,
That she never learned
To just be…
Be herself,
Know herself,
Not as a woman,
Or as a person even,
But as a universe
Of endless possibilities…

Image credit: Feature image generated with DALL·E using a prompt based on this poem and its themes.
If this piece resonates with you and you’re a visual artist, I’d love to feature your own soul-crafted work in place of the AI image.

From the poetry compilation

Happy Hallucinations

More Poems

Vinyl Ribs

Vinyl Ribs

Far away from homeThere’s a graveI’m looking forTo chill my warm bonesWith your cold embrace.Fireflies would light candlesTo my final memoriesOf your laughterThat’s etchedDeep within my bonesRusty scythe of deathWould rattle bitter-sweet musicOf your engraved memoryOn...

Happy Hallucinations

Happy Hallucinations

I hopeTo find myselfIn your happy hallucinations,Where you could gazeAt the butterflies inside my stomachJittering at your sightFluttering purple kisses,Sometimes teal, or pink…To contrast your inner worldOf a thousand shades of grey,To remind you of a worldFull of...

Graveyard of Old Memories

Graveyard of Old Memories

I keep digging deepIn the graveyardOf old memories.No tombstone, no nameNo dates necessary.Daturas and nightshadesHovering over your remains –Marking where you lay,On your final resting place. My shovel hits the coffin –Wood once varnished with my tears,Now rotting...

Let it Break a Little

Let it Break a Little

Let your heart break a little. Let the light enter That stale room. Let birds make their nest And mushrooms enroot In those caves. Let ivies crawl up your heartstrings. Let the caterpillars Eat through your pain, Slumber, then Cocoon in your cavity. Let them wake up...

Dear Alchemist

Dear Alchemist

What do you do When you wake up One fine morning, Discovering What you thought To be your darkness Was your light all along? When you find that Your frigid heart Has been guarding Kindlings for you And has been Gracefully striking Your hardened Regret and misery To...

At last, perfection!

At last, perfection!

I carved my heart into a spoonTo feed you my love, my love.My broken bones fashioned intoRough and rugged forks,So you could swallow my soulServed on my ivory-white skull,Made hollow to carry your pain.I let my tongue under your teeth,My marrow in your drool,And yet,...

Keep in Touch

YouTube

Become a Subscriber

LinkedIn

For professional purposes

TikTok

Follow me!

It’s a Rik Life

Rik Bhattacharja © 2023

All Rights Reserved