Sanctuary Bound

A Poem

Photo by Chris Turgeon on Unsplash

someone once told me
we have only ourselves to blame
for our unhappy endings —

and i looked at her
and frowned,
all the while she looked serene
as if she had not just dealt a killing blow

in that moment, i knew
she would never understand
the cries of the hungry
or the whims of the oppressed

to her,
life was a game,
and she had won
until she sat atop a throne

and she can say
hard work is all that matters —
and she can say
she’s going to beat the odds

but i watched
as i saw suffering
on the other end
of a screen

but i watched
as i knew hopelessness
on the other end
of a string

and i said goodbye
to the girl who promised
unhappy endings