Home » Poems » Jamey Shepherd » Dysfunctional

Dysfunctional

Dysfunctional 7/1/14 



I am an only child but I wasn't a lonely one.

Some days I think it would've been
better to have had a younger 
brother or sister to torture
and somehow be an example to.

Funny how younger 
siblings are like puppies.
Always coming back for more - 
with adoration oozing from their pores.

At what age do they halt seeking
attention or acceptance?
Love is always there regardless
of how we treat each other, right?

I find the family dynamic unparalleled.

How can you fiercely love and hate
someone so completely at the same time?
And so it goes with ties that bond.

"I won't speak to you for 30 years!" Who says that?

There is no logic in the twisted web of blood.

I find no solace in my past.
Snippets of joy sprinkled into
buckets of pain.

Even still, I have learned over
the years to forgive.
For my own sanity and for
the sake of my possible 
future family - Or I will be destined 
to repeat the demented cycle.

Perhaps it doesn't matter and
all families share some cruel genetics.
Some innate ability to dish
out the worst punishment - 
emotional cuts so deep they will never heal.

I know I'm not alone is this thinking,
although I'm an only child.

I observe and digest a world of
hurt and anguish with no light
at the end of this terrifying tunnel.

My stomach hurts and my head burns.
It's no wonder people anesthetize to numbness.
To feel is to be aware - 
thus ignorance is a sort of beauty all its own.

I would never want to be a mind reader.
I'm not sure I could handle the truth.

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.