Strands of Time

Class:10:I Must Be Strong

They tell me to be strong,

They say crying is wrong,

That I shouldn't complain,

And if I do,

I'm throwing my blessings down the drain.

That there are people worse off than me,

Which I need to learn to see.

But there are times,

When I suffer,

Though I committed no crime.

There are times, when I'm punished,

'Cause someone else's pride was tarnished,

'Cause of something someone said or did,

And I happen to be related, somehow or the other to the offender.

And so the seeds of misunderstanding, distrust and hate are sown.

And it is my fate that is thrown to the dogs.

I must surrender, I must accept.

I must be strong,

I mustn't cry because crying is wrong.

Tell me, what does being 'strong' mean?

Is crying a sin against God? Is crying selfish?

This remorse I must bleach from my mind,

I must smile and be kind,

To those who don't feel the same.

This is life and it's nothing but a game.

Then tell me what I should do with this pain,

Deep inside where my values and wishes collide but don't coincide.

There is no gain from this pain,

I'm no saint, I can't help but cry.

Author's Note: This poem is long overdue. I had written it to be a sequel to "Jaded", but through a series of incidents that occurred afterwards my original feelings regarding the matter has changed. However, upon reading it again, I couldn't bring myself to scrap it. This is because I realised, there maybe people out there who have suffered because of similar situations and it is to them I dedicate this poem. Believe me when I say, I know it hurts.