To the prince-not-so-charming

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To think that the little bird waited
all these years
for a prince-not-so-charming
In the end
Is such a relief to know
To let go
To fly away

Freed
By the absence of love and care
Freed
By the absence of warmth and truth
She looks back longingly at her chains
(His smile and those eyes)
Institutionalized

Love and romance
Isn’t it too overromanticized by books and movies?
Isn’t it too overrated?
What’s all the hype about?
What do I know?

Just that, true love shouldn’t hurt so bad
Just that, true love shouldn’t make someone feel so empty
Just that, once your conversation is over, the tears that trickle down your cheeks shouldn’t burn and fume
It’s over, I say and smile
In the end, the only arms that held me
Belonged to my friends and family.

And it’s such a relief that on my worst days
words still don’t abandon me
poetry never fails to soothe
fellow poets never stop from listening

Nothing special, dear ones
Just that, I got my closure, at last
Just that, I realised, closure wasn’t what my heart wanted
I bent down to write about hate
But all I could jot down is the longing
Pablo Neruda’s longing… ‘but how I loved her.’

I wish to say that I hate you
that I love you… but those words have abandoned me
Instead, let me just jot down narcissistically
I miss being understood
I miss the possibility of love
I miss sharing my grand plans with you

But never again
never again
never again
will I ever come begging
My heart is yet to get used to it.
But it’s the truth – it’s over.
You and I will never be us again.