A Whimper of Pain
A cry of loss
Will you think me weak if I ask for help?
I am not sleeping.
I cry at traffic lights,
my hands firmly gripping the wheel
at 10 and 2.
But that's all
that I can grip.
Everything else is
swept away in the fog
and creeping numb that sweeps through me.
Am I losing my grip on life?
Is this... that?
~
I... don't... think... so.
I can still feel,
so that must be life.
Still.
~
The help I would give others
remains wrapped in thick sandpaper for me.
My fingers ache from the effort of unwrapping it.
Scraped and raw- I am exhausted.
My head.
My eyes.
My breathing seems like such a huge effort for
such poor reasons.
Is it worth it?
Am I worth it?
~
Will you think me weak if i ask for help?
~
Do you
think of me
at all?
~
About the Creator
Judey Kalchik
It's my time to find and use my voice.
Poetry, short stories, memories, and a lot of things I think and wish I'd known a long time ago.
You can also find me on Medium
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More stories from Judey Kalchik and writers in Poets and other communities.
Take Me With You
I've been here, my love. Watching, waiting. I've wanted to come to you, but I can't seem to break free of these wrought iron bars. You must have looked upon my face at least a hundred times these last few months, yet your face never once lit up for me. Not the way I know mine does for you. It's like you didn't recognize me anymore.
By Kenny Penn3 days ago in Fiction
Comments (14)
This was soooo heartbreaking. I wish more people knew that asking for help is the strongest thing that they can do.
No to the first. Yes to the last. This makes me think of the story of the father watching his young child struggling to move a large boulder with no success. After the child gives up complaining, "I can't move it," the father asks, "Have you tried using all your strength?" The child responds, "Yes, you know I did." The father replies, "No you haven't, for you haven't asked me to help yet." Part of the American myth: we're supposed to be able to do it all & handle it all on our own. It never was true. It's still not true today.
Beautiful.
I think asking for help is one of the hardest things to do, so no, it doesn’t make a person weak. Great writing as always, Judey
No, I see no weakness. Asking 4 help is a superpower that we humans don't utilize enough! Awesome writing btw Judey!
💙 I consider you strong.
Judey, we all feel this way now and again...you nailed it!
Oh I loved this, gave me journal vibes and self-conscious vibes all in one
Nope you are not at all weak.
I wouldn't think you were weak. That ending stands out, also the image of hands on the wheel being the only things you get a grip on. This is fabulous. Well done.
Wow, this is super, Judy, so well put in a poem, all the worries that we all feel. 👏👏
‘Will you think me weak, if I ask for help?’ What a strong line, this sums up the entire poem. It gave me pause yo reflect.
'j' ~ Whew, Did I Write This ~ 'j'
Poignantly beautiful writing, Judey!