"A Seven-Letter Word" by Kavya Kamath

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Warning: This poem is *NOT* themed around Valentine's Day. (Or maybe by being the unintentional opposite, it is V-Day themed?)

A Seven-Letter Word

Change is pressing you ear against their bedroom door, trying to hear the angry whispers.
Change is blocking out the glares, dad leaving early for work, and the inconspicuous yet deadly tension.
Change is hearing shouted words and slamming doors.
Change is mom sleeping on your bedroom floor.
Change is standing in the middle of the crossfire, shattered by every bullet aimed at the enemy.
Change is being forced to take sides, to declare which half of your life you love more.
Change is getting pulled back and forth like a rope, seams unwinding.
Change is having a lawyer on speed dial.
Change is suffering through heated court battles, a supposedly impartial stranger giving mom the weekdays and dad the weekends.
Change is watching everything split down the middle.
Change is seeing pain in any direction you look.

Change is the act or instance of making or becoming different.
Change is the two quarters and a penny you found in the pocket of your jeans last week.
Change is the legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body.

Change is a six-letter word.
Divorce is a seven-letter word.

And 13 letters isn't a whole lot, now is it?
13 letters aren't enough.


PLEASE READ: To anyone reading this, yes my parents are divorced, but no, this is not my story. I was too young when it happened to remember anything; all I've got a few pieced-together memories from what I've been told about it later on. I wrote this poem partially inspired by the song "Little Toy Guns" by Carrie Underwood (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxOYvI0pfLo), and partially imagining what a divorce might feel like to a teenager (or just anyone old enough to remember what actually went down).

Image result for divorce

Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 15, 2020 at 8:48 AM

    I know I've said this before but BARS. you are a young Shakespeare

    ReplyDelete
  2. DanielleFebruary 18, 2020 at 8:52 AM

    Excellent! You're so talented!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousFebruary 18, 2020 at 12:56 PM

    That was amazing. I really liked how you kept repeating "Change is..."

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousFebruary 22, 2020 at 8:05 PM

    I am so sorry you had to go through this, even if you don't remember it very well. Your writing and voice throughout the piece was amazing (as always) and I like how you turned something which hits close to home into a poem. You infused feeling into your piece, and it is eye-opening for those who haven't had to experience this in their life.

    ReplyDelete

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