And though you appeared sweet
felt the emptiness in your eyes,
indifference is the silence that hurts
more than words.
I strain to hear the once beating
heart, one that used to smile and
tell me life’s too short.
I see you with your face stone
cold, swallowed the sun in attempts
to feel the warmth. I haven’t the
time to loathe anyone.
Horizon’s a hue of gold and brown,
I watch as you wade in a purgatory
of sorts; pushing and pulling the
other at the same time.
Photo Credits: Firefly George Seeley
Posted for “Camera Flash” @ Real Toads
also on “Poetry Pantry” @ Poets United
62 Responses
Wow! This is sheer brilliance, Sanaa. The best of your best, I think. The narrative voice is just perfect, and your images have a fine cutting edge.
I see you with your face stone
cold, swallowed the sun in attempts
to feel the warmth. I haven’t the
time to loathe anyone.
This whole stanza is a triumph.
Aww gosh!❤️ Thank you so much, Kerry 😀 so glad you liked it!❤️
(and thank you for the lovely prompt)
now this is just as gritty and grainy as the photo. someone has swallowed the sun. poor soul
Definitely 😉 thanks for stopping by, Angie ❤️
This is outstanding, Sanaa!!! Way impressive work.
You know, I think indifference is a salve to a wounded person. They can’t handle expressing what’s underneath, so they even convince themselves they don’t care.
You’re absolutely right! 🙂 thanks for stopping by, Shawna ❤️
You definitely made me feel her. Well captured emotions here
Thank you so much, Tradlos 🙂 so good to see you ❤️
Perfect!
Thank you so much, Shay 🙂 so glad you liked it ❤️
Really good…
As Elie Wiesel wrote: “the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference”
Your whole poem is an expansion of that, but adds compassion to the mix of the person suffering in self-loathe.
Thank you so much, Bjorn 🙂 so glad you liked it ❤️
I love the way you have captured cold indifference in your poem, Sanaa – it is ‘the silence that hurts / more than words’. My favourite lines have to be:
‘I see you with your face stone
cold, swallowed the sun in attempts
to feel the warmth…’
Thank you so much, Kim 😀 so good to see you ❤️
I love your narrative poems (as though you were reading to me). Yes, words are often heated whilst silence is cold. What a great poem this is Sanaa.
Thank you so much, Robin 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️
What an intriguing and enticing story poem
Thank you so much, Jae 🙂 so good to see you ❤️
You approach the image like sun to sepia, present to past, I to a lost Thou. Only the dead can be so “indifferent” … Your lively voice is tender but clear.
Thank you so much, Brendan 🙂 so glad you liked it ❤️
The close is strong and so nicely done Sanaa…
Thank you so much, Rajani 😀 so good to see you ❤️
The emotions flow flawlessly!
🙂
Brilliant writing, Sanaa! I can really feel this one.
Thank you so much, Mary 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
“indifference is the silence that hurts
more than words.” That is brilliant.
Thank you so much, Debi 😀 so good to see you ❤️
Indifference can be one of the most devastating emotions, for both the one ignoring another and for the one being ignored. People who don’t care about others tend to be… incomplete. And the ones on the other side of the coin break slowly, especially if the opinion others matter to them. But… like in the case of the speaker, sometimes indifference can be quite the defense mechanism. Why waste time being consumed by the silliness of another, if we can ignore their nonsense and use our time to live our lives?
I agree, we can choose to ignore the silliness of another and use that time to carry on with our lives 🙂 thanks for stopping by, Magaly ❤️
Wow!!! magnificent poetry; gorgeous end lines
“I watch as you wade in a purgatory
of sorts; pushing and pulling the
other at the same time”
Happy New Year Sanaa
much love…
Thank you so much, Gillena 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️
You too, Happy New Year!🌠🎇
So true, indifference can hurt more than words. But sometimes those who are indifferent to us don’t deserve our love and attention. Best to be with those who reciprocate love and kind words. 😊
Definitely 😀 thanks for stopping by, Loredana ❤️
Sanaa you nailed that look….what an expression….fine lines…loved those last lines…💜
Thank you so much, Sreeja 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️
Appearances are not always what they seem.
Definitely 🙂 thanks for stopping by, Annell ❤️
This is so chilly, Sanaa. Though I really relate, too… “I haven’t the time to loathe anyone.” Yes.
Thank you so much, Marian 🙂 so glad you liked it ❤️
This is how it is, watching from the outside as another grapples with their issues. I love “I havent the time to loathe anyone.” Or energy! Wise words, Sanaa.
Thank you so much, Sherry 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
A reminder that the opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference. And it burns more deeply than hate can sometimes.
Definitely 🙂 thanks for stopping by, Rommy ❤️
Indifference can hurt us on so many levels!
Definitely 🙂 it would do us good to ignore people who feign indifference. Thanks for stopping by, Donna ❤️
Lovely write, Sanaa, I think that Feeling is either on or off, indifference is the off switch of emotion. And first I felt bad for the one who was spurned, but you brought me round to pity the unfeeling one.
Thank you so much, Eric 🙂 so glad you liked it ❤️
Wow. You outdid yourself here Sanaa. This poem is so full of emotion, wisdom, the paradox within a relationship, the sadness before it ends. At least these are some of the things I read in to it.
Thank you so much, Myrna 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
This is so well done. ‘indifference is the silence that hurts more than words’ – a brilliant line in an exquisite piece.
Thank you so much, Wendy 🙂 so glad you liked it ❤️
It seems to me a very valid interpretation of this image – and, while sad, beautifully expressed.
Thank you so much, Rosemary 😀 so good to see you ❤️
This is sad and I feel it in a way that triggers this reality in me.
Thank you so much, Colleen 🙂 so glad you liked it ❤️
Tis sad when one swallows the sun to feel the warmth of life again. Sometimes, one gets hurt and the coldness settles in.
This is very well done and you def captured the image.
Thank you so much, Truedessa 🙂 so glad you liked it ❤️
indifference is the silence that hurts
more than words.
It is often fatal in a relationship. It is tantamount to a ‘no response’ attitude!
Hank
Definitely 🙂 thanks for stopping by, Hank ❤️
Awesome!
❤️