Falling Behind. A Poem by an Anonymous Author

I once found a little handwritten note in a library book, likely forgotten by the previous reader. I had a closer look at the handwritten note, folded in two, and realized it was a poem. I kept the note with the poem by the unknown author as it intrigued me. I left it in my nightstand drawer at the time and kind of forgot about it.

I found it again last night, and I read it again. It's a beautiful poem, even though I don't know who wrote it. I debated with myself whether I should share it, and finally, I decided that yes I should. This touching poem deserves to be read and heard, so I am sharing it here today.

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Falling Behind

[Anonymous author]

This is me reaching out over the grandest canyons

This is me fighting at the chance to grab at the shadows of your sleeve in order to pull you back to me

When I know how quickly you’ve learned to leave

And how deftly you seem to pull it off

And this,

This is my bones slowly cracking under the weight

Of your many insecurities and naïve doubtings

And the way you’ve managed to keep my spine

Bending and curving far away from

Your own that it begins to break under the

Stream of the distance.

And the worst part is that each time I come

Crawling back with limp, broken fingers,

Tired from the tearing and clawing at my own

Ragged skin, you pick me up and stare me down and

Tell me there’s nothing you can do with my weary heart

Anymore and I’d best learn to

Find someone else

But the only one who can kiss these scars pure again

Is the one who was too far away to prevent them

In the first place

Though I know so well that

Your fleeing figure never plans to return

To my sagging bedframe

Or to the places where I carefully lay out my words in sentences

Almost close to perfection so that I could

Show you what it meant to be a little less

Insane than the rest of the world but

Always,

Always more mad.

And how my bones rattle in the darkness

When you’re already left

And I know your return is only a

Figment of my imagination.

If the author of this poem ever sees my post, I hope she doesn't mind that I shared it. ❤️❤️❤️

Photo credit: Victoria West