Nasilele Mubyana Poet Free verse

No King At the Throne

I lay there and I listened 
to every sound that came through the night: 
the floorboards creaking, 
the wind blown window blinds beating against the metal window frame, 
the scuttling of rodents in the roof, 
the odd disconcerting sound that I could not identify

I pressed my face into my pillow, 
slowing my breathing, 
whilst the pillowcase soaked up my tears, 
my forehead burning hot. 
“It hurts,” I thought, 
and with that thought another memory of him filled my mind 

and my pillowcase, 
drenched and pressed against my hot face, 
began to feel like a hot wet cloth 

I was thirsty, 
but unmotivated to care for myself 
I had lost all ambitions to live a life worthy 
of being alive 

Once we parted, 
I began living each day, 
as a day to be spent and forgotten, 
nothing had meaning, 
and nothing felt passionate. 

“I will never leave you,” 
were words we had often exchanged; 
yet words we never lived up to 
“I am already gone,” 
were words I had used to leave him, 
and he let go
No promise kept of “I am always here.”
 
I never let another man in 
to what I considered his kingdom 
I was a queen with no king, 
at my throne 
I lay there, 
silently begging him to come back, 
knowing that after all I had done, 
if he were to return it would be, 
at his own will 
and with each passing year, 
I lay there 
and I listened to every sound that came through the night

♡Like0

Share Poem

---

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.

Please Login to post a comment