I wrote this poem because I've been thinking a lot about Matthew Shepard who was murdered in Wyoming in 1998 because he was gay. This poem is for him. But it isn't only for him. This poem is for everyone who had their lives taken from them too soon, for everyone who has lost things that are never meant to be stolen. This is a poem for everyone.
Stolen Sorrows
Stolen sorrows,
stolen sorrows
Sold and
squandered my tomorrows
Hearing
the sigh of time slip by
Crawling
towards the day I die
I
stiffen at the sharp stab of pain
I
hear him whisper with disdain
Stolen sorrows,
stolen sorrows
Sold and
squandered my tomorrows
I
dream of a love that dare not speak its name
The
disgust of a world that burns with a righteous flame
A
black and gleaming, long and jagged scar
A
voice so lost, I don’t know where you are
Stolen sorrows,
stolen sorrows
Sold and
squandered my tomorrows
You
were the fool who threw away
The
comforts held by yesterday
The
barbed metal fence against my back
The
never ending crush of fear
The
blood that clings to all my face
Except
the skin cleansed by my tears
They
scream until I cannot hear
Until
I cannot see the sky
Then
leave me slumped, afraid, alone,
I
cannot move, too late to cry
Stolen sorrows,
stolen sorrows
Sold and
squandered my tomorrows
I
never got the chance to look
Or
bargain back the days they took
Octa, thank you so much for this poem.
ReplyDeleteWe talked about Matthew Shepard recently in one of my classes. It was incredibly emotional for me and I almost had to leave the class, and your poem has returned those powerful feelings to me. My school is...not the most accepting of places. I wish I could show them all your poem now, because I think it would certainly change the way they think for the better.
This is a fantastic tribute to Matthew Shepard's memory.
Again, thank you Octa.
Thank you so much for reading *hugs*
DeleteAnd I'm absolutely fine with you sharing this poem with your classmates if you want to.
I'm so glad you think this is a worthy tribute.