Ruby - Astari Boedikoentjara
The secondhand poem
you once wrote for me
now used to woo another lady
Boy, you’re so lazy!
If she knew the backstory,
she’d be displeased
You complain about my hair
You make me want to swear
or the chubbiness in my cheeks
which somehow gives you the creeps
Then you go on with my nose
She's been dismissed
belittled
considered a freak and overly sensitive
'though she believes
something's got to give
I've been transported back in time
something familiar
yet also bizarre
the same old Twilight Zone
with the same old Culture of Silence
The crowd has never looked so treacherous.
Nobody’s being serious
when it comes to dealing with the virus.
They simply group,
like hopeful fans for some photoshoots,
Oh, you only mean so well
Of course, with the same old lines
Such familiar lies
while saving your own face
is always your best interest
They said I should’ve stayed longer
Perhaps it’s true
You’ve made me feel better
I owe it all to you
It’s the place where I could be
I must do what’s right
kicking you out
out of my sight
You were never mine
I was stupid and blind
but now I’m fine
They say patience is a virtue
and fairy tales aren’t true.
There’s no such thing as ‘love at a first sight.
Such a childish mentality isn’t right.
I know we’ve just met
Another episode
an inner push to an automatic mode
a buzzing chainsaw in my ears
My vision wasn’t crystal-clear
It was the same old alien
Have I told you that comfort zone is temporary?
Go ahead, call me crazy.
Have I told you that a safe space is an illusion?
It’s our own creation.
It’s just like us.
It doesn’t really last.
Sssh...
Hear the silence.
Listen.
You may not have before
Too busy talking
delivering demands
