What Do You See? – Written Friday 16th February 2024 (Aged 48)

What Do You See?

i used to think that –
people do not see my fragility
but,
as I have added more years –
to my constant clock,
i realise,
often, people do not want to see it
and that leaves me –
mired in complex structures and verse
i am in those places,
in spite of…
not because of…
come on though, is that really true?
how long –
can one person play that particular card?
i know,
i have studied the game
and i have worked hard
accidents have happened
but i have learned that i can be sharp
but my reality is there,
cracks in the glass that i dare not share
bundles of emotions tied with a faded bow
parts of me that know how to care
and parts of me that too easily let go
i used to think –
people do not see my fragility
all of that awful mess,
that has built up behind my eyes
and then when people offered any kind of praise
it felt at odds with what was inside
i guess you just move –
move from one place to the next
but fragility holds me in a vice like grip
and still i wonder what it means and how i will fit

James Garratt – Friday 16th February

More poems at
https://theboybehindtheglasses.com/

More about this blog, The Boy Behind the Glasses, here
https://theboybehindtheglasses.com/2020/01/08/the-boy-behind-the-glasses-an-introduction/

More poems from 2024 here
https://theboybehindtheglasses.com/category/poems-and-writing-2024/