Some days, some part of me refuses
to put pain down on paper.
These are the days I pull away,
stretch myself to a place where I know we are not all grieving.
On some days, I have to diversify my language,
revise my tongue, which drips with sadness and
speaks only of a world bereft of compassion,
and twist it around like a fool abstaining from reality.
Some days, I have to distance myself
from every single emotion
that binds me so tight within me,
there are times I cannot breathe.
Some days, I stop myself, even momentarily,
from offering my space to those needing it most.
Some days, I must pause,
even for a fleeting moment to remember,
it isn’t all bad, we’re not all bad.
Shikha S. Lamba is a jewelry designer and poet living in Hong Kong. She is also the co-editor of an online magazine, Coffee and Conversations. In love with all things creative, she has contributed poetry and articles for various publications in Hong Kong, US, and India over the years. Passionate about raising awareness about women’s health and mental health issues through her writing, Shikha’s poems often touch on themes of feminism and social injustice.