Redux
you threw the first rock
the force of it landed
the pain came in slivers
you broke open
love’s shelter
it’s no longer safe here
our warmth escaped
cold steeliness seeped in
my blood curdled icy
Originally published 4/10/2019 on I Write Her.
Tag: breaking up
A Broken Heart
Inspired by What do you see #306
crisp conversation
with a visceral response
we are over now
An Infiltration Of Indifference
there is an underworld hiding in relationships
like the place of departed souls in hades
it’s weakness
maybe he didn’t mean to hurt you
or abuse your trust
but he did
his deeds were intentional
his needs, desires, and wants came first
like you didn’t matter
his love is an illusion
a lie you can’t believe in anymore
Losing Her
the flowers and chocolate romance
heated by unbridled lust
and wicked passion
the start of both your engines
“the honeymoon phase”
a mix of tender intimacy
and out-of-control longing
countless, unending hours of communication
but then, the day-to-day takes its toll
overtime at work and at home
nudges each over the jagged edge of stress
undernourished nurture strains the bonds once so strong
eventually, the peak is reached
and after a certain time
the relationship solidly diminishes
there is no return to paradise anymore
what came so easily before
now, only a faint trace of the allure remains
occasionally, it’s sparked again
but mostly, there’s indifference
it’s tiresome to be so out of sync
and frustrating to feel extinguished
now, only capable of loathing
enduring yet another day of disassociation
until one day when the sadness, too hard to bear anymore, makes her turn and walk away
Obvious Deception
Redux
i’m not the enemy
wrong
you were never a friend
friends will…
listen
offer a shoulder to cry on
give tissues as needed
nurture
be excited to be with you
tell the truth
protect
support
engage
comfort
laugh with you
act like your #1 fan
shield you from oncoming shit
be ready and waiting
me having to stand up for myself
and up to you
proved once and for all
you were never willing
to give what should have
come so naturally
Originally posted 2/11/2019, here on I Write Her.
Shut Out
winter has arrived
the iciness crept inside
chilly to the touch
The Ache
surrounded by the basics met
true needs and wants
go by the wayside
a woman knows
she deserves better
and grows weary from neglect
as soon as her grief has lifted
she’ll go a different path
one where she chooses herself
Missteps
Inspired by What do you see #250
a song resonates
these boots are made for walking
i have had enough
Smitha Vishwanath
Grief and Me
I feel grief in waves
Ebbing and flowing, looking
for the tiniest crack.
I construct a dam
Keeps me from the dark deluge.
I clamber away.
Photographs
A time capsule – scroll,
Turn. And you are taken to the past.
Smiling faces gaze
Frozen for posterity
A casket of illusions
Ikigai
Some
people,
altruistic
kind, love to see
you distressed. High on
empathy, it gives them
a chance to play the hero.
Makes them feel good; it distresses
them when you save yourself. It’s hard to
carry on without a sense of purpose.
Writing and Us
You said writing had
swallowed me. Would you, rather,
sorrow engulf me?
Had I cried to you,
you would have found me tiresome
Now I write and smile
And yet you complain
What is it you want from me?
Help me understand.
Grateful for the poetry
I had been comatose. You woke me up.
Only a stab in the heart
could have done it. Thank you!
Poetry oozed from the gash. I rejoiced.
But I cannot forgive you.
The scar – a reminder.
~~~
Smitha Vishwanath’s poetry has been published in several international e-zines. Her debut novel, Coming Home, published in March 2023, has received excellent reviews. She has been selected Author of the Month 2022, 2023, and 2024. Smitha was awarded the Reuel International Prize for poetry in 2023, and her novel was awarded the Certificate of Excellence by the Asian Literary Society in 2024. She was first featured here in 2020.
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Let Me Go
Redux
Inspired by Reena’s Exploration Challenge Week 63
need strength to walk
away from pleasure and pain
the remnants of our past
keep me connected to you
my brain thunders
with the memories
of our souls being as one
the connection everlasting
a fleeting hope of resurrection
pins me to you still
a false statement of contrition
tires my commitment
stop playing games
with my affection
break this hold
if it’s not real
please let me break free
Originally published 11/17/2018 on I Write Her.
I Write Her 
