I wrote Death of a Girl in 1984, at the age of 16. It describes the grief and pain of unrequited love and loss; the stark reality – some things are not meant to be. Compare this poem to Freedom, also from 1984, with its theme of disillusionment.
I wrote my poems
For an empty heart
And thus, they fell
On deaf ears.
He stood there
Shorn of his glory
Dethroned from the pedestal
Which I had foolishly built.
So, I sat back in the darkness
Of my truth
With mocking thoughts
To keep me company.
And silently watched
My girlhood dreams
Crumble to dust
With the inevitability of reality.
Saw my dreams
Flicker in the dark
In the flames
Of a dying passion.
A last convulsion
Just before death
When the past lies behind
Cruel in its clarity.
Oh, I see myself
For what I was –
A fool
And you –
An impossible dream.
So, you leave me
For the distant mists
And become a dweller of the past
I wake up to this moment –
And there is pain, at last.
Vanita Shukla Hork, 1984
If you liked this poem, you will enjoy my book Memories from another Lifetime: Pain. Available on Amazon, free on KindleUnlimited. Please do leave a review.
Great poem, sensing the loss, despair and finality. (Fitting picture choice too!)
Thanks, John, I’m so glad you like the poem! It was actually difficult to find a suitable picture, so I’m really happy to hear that it fits the poem. I think it captures the different levels and possible interpretations of the poem.
My absolute favorite. Dark, haunting but insanly beautiful
Thank you so much 🙏
A lovely coming of age poem and growing up. Love the photo too.
Thank you so much, Vatsala!
Excellent Vanita. Loves young dream cruelly crumbled to dust.
Thank you so much, Steve, I’m really glad you liked it 🙏🙏🙏
I loved this. So much emotions and so much depth. Well done. 🙂
Thank you so much, Raven, that means a lot to me 🙏🙏🙏