Found in the absences

Found in the absences

A poem about how invisibly illnesses may not be seen on the surface, but can be found in the absences.

By Tanisha Singh from India

In hidden corners of the canvas, tales unfold,

Where visible masks give way to stories untold.

A symphony of whispers, a dance of veiled pain,

In the labyrinth of unseen, where shadows wane.

A wrinkled shirt, a faltering gait's embrace,

Each tremor of pen, a chronicle of grace.

Timelines amiss, assignments delayed,

Life's fabric frayed, in stitches unsplayed.

A diet selective, encounters evaded,

A world in turmoil, inner battles paraded.

Disheveled tresses, chambers unkempt,

Edges unsewn, where emotions are kept.

Absence speaks volumes, silent cries persist,

Invisible battles etched where eyes insist.

For to be witnessed in struggle's embrace,

Is to breathe in a world where one finds their place.

In realms veiled from sight, stories take flight,

In whispered metaphors, darkness and light.

No need for solace, nor false optimism's balm,

Just acknowledgment true, in the realm of the calm.

These nuances of life, a tapestry so complex,

Where wearied hearts are marked with scars and vex.

Yet in the quiet understanding, souls entwine,

A lifeline of compassion, humanity's sign.

So let us peer beyond the surfaces so plain,

Embrace the hidden stories, the depths of strain.

For in seeing those battles, courage finds its stead,

In this cryptic narrative, where truth is softly spread.


Featured Photo by Paula Schmidt from Pexels