In the quiet rooms where shadows dwell and mourn,
It should have been a given, your presence sworn,
To stand beside me, through loss so deep,
As I grieve the souls I could not keep.
My parents, my ex, their absence a void,
It should have been a given, not to avoid,
A hand to hold, in the darkest of nights,
A beacon of comfort, through life’s toughest fights.
And as I drowned, in sorrow’s drink,
It should have been a given, to help me think,
To guide me back, from the edge of despair,
Not through distant words, but by being there.
My sadness, a storm, not meant for you,
It should have been a given, if love were true,
To know the heartache wasn’t a blade,
Directed at you, but a plea for aid.
Presence, a gift, more than texts or calls,
It should have been a given, through life’s brawls,
To be the shoulder, the listener, the friend,
In person, in spirit, until the end.
And in my state, lost and forlorn,
It should have been a given, not to be torn,
Away by the allure of someone new,
But to stay, to fight, to see it through.
It should have been a given, to try, to strive,
To help keep the flicker of hope alive,
For in the end, what love professes to be,
Is a shelter from storms, a lock with a key.
But lessons are learned in the hardest of times,
In the echo of heartache, in sorrow’s chimes,
It should have been a given, yes, I see now,
To expect not just words, but actions that vow.
So here I stand, amidst loss and pain,
Learning to breathe, to live again,
Without you, I’ll find my way,
For in my heart, hope’s light will stay.
