Live

By Hieu T.

Posted on May 1, 2023

Cover Image Title: Flowing Woods

Cover Image By: Alice

Classification: Photography

Specifications: Resized from its original 2,000 x 1,500

Year: 2022

lost child

i beg of you

to wish

the tears

away

wash it down

well

in the river

that streams

in a silent

scream

strip the excess

away

toss it

onto

the floor

that once

crumbled

under the

weight

of the world’s

whims

and swim

come on

swim

swim

─in the name of pain

that will

eventually

wash

away,

if

you

let it

Descriptions:

It is okay to be sad. It is okay to cry. What’s not okay is to bottle it up. This piece was derived from my own personal experiences with internalized shame; I wrote it in a moment of vulnerability to encourage myself and all those on the brink of losing it to let it go. Get rid of your urge to cry by allowing it to exit your eyes, as putting the pain down will allow you to move forward steadily and live a more fulfilling life. Be sure to let it go and swim whenever you may need to.

[ * The End * ]

The Editor's Notes:

This writer uses visual and emotional appeals to catch the reader's eye. I find that this poem can relate to various situations in everyone's life in which we just need a good cry. This poem not only encourages a healthy approach to life's challenges, but also diminishes our urge to uphold a false happy image all the time. -- Writing Editor: Kimberly Nguyen