Poetry: So I Say

 So I Say

I am a clock, my second hand broken.

Tick-tocking on one tiny space.

A relentless malaise.

While the minutes and hours blur.

I exist in space within time.

‘Every second counts,’ so they say.

 

I am a dog, my front leg twisted.

Dragging the ground when I run.

It bends back on itself.

When I play, it is agony.

Sympathetic looks all around.

‘It’s a dog’s life,’ so they say.

 

I am a radio, I play only static.

The world loves music, not noise.

It hurts their ears.

I am a broken instrument of joy.

My purpose is lost.

‘Turn on, tune in, drop out,’ so they say.

 

I am a person, I cannot be happy.

Smiling, but screaming inside.

People look uneasy.

They ask ‘what’s the problem?’

But there is no problem, just me.

‘Things can only get better,’ so they say.

 

So they say.

 

I am a friend; my job is to be there.

To listen, mend, or just be present.

It is genuine love.

If I ask, ‘are you ok?’

You can tell me, I’ll be there every day.

‘Friends will be friends,’ so I say.

 

So I say.

 

 

This poem was chosen to be part of the University of Suffolk’s Mental Health Awareness Exhibition, between the 9th and 15th of May, 2022.

I am a writer as well as a blogger. My website is www.JamesLloydBrown.com