Home » Poems » Laura Breidenthal » I Can'T Stop

I Can'T Stop

I can’t stop for you now
You are holding me by reigns that don’t exist
Why are you holding so tightly?
I can’t breathe—I can’t understand!
I allowed you to take my hand for the ride
I’ve allowed you by my side
But you turn away when others arrive
I feel like I’ve been tugged by the lot of kings
Of cruel beings threatening to chop my wings
I feel tattered and sore
And the journey drags because you always want MORE
What more can I do?
I can’t stop for you to catch up
Hitch on or move on!
If you can’t see that I care
Why are you here? How much more should I bear?
I’m torn without your smile
The extra silence squeezing from bile
I don’t mind the quiet but I hate your screaming
I can’t always be the one to be intervening
I can’t stop for you on every road bump
I’ve got to keep going—I’m sorry
You don’t have to be behind
You can go on ahead—would you rather be dead?
These harnesses are nothing—your effortless frustration kills me
And if you say nothing, what say I?
Must I stay and wait for you to reply?
Must there always be a hello—a goodbye?
WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES
WE ALL HURT OVER WORDS
Why then, can’t we heal over silence?

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Timothy Hicks

Date: 3/18/2013 9:22:00 PM

Once again I am blown away by the rawness of your emotions and the intensity with which you deliver them. You can really see who you're real friends are by comparing how they act around other people and how they act when it's just you and him. Must we all have masks for different people? This reminds me to take a breather when I'm up in fumes... and have faith that things will turn out alright in the end...

Justin Bordner

Date: 3/11/2013 5:38:00 PM

Good wisdom in this write Laura - I am inclined to measure depth of friendship with how well we can listen and be comfortable being quiet - its rare - J.A.B. %