Do Not Walk Away Easily. Don't Give Up Too Soon. But When You Do, Make Sure You Erase Your Footsteps

Do not walk away easily. Don't give up too soon. But when you do, make sure you erase your footsteps that you leave behind as you walk away. Make sure you forget the way of getting back from where you left. Make sure you don't put yourself through the same test again and again.

People often have callous ways to talk to us- even the ones who we are pretty much attached to. That is one issue. Another one is that we are expected to take all the callousness, rudeness and harsh treatment as a joke because they don't mean it. And if we allow ourselves to feel hurt, we are not cool enough. Being cool means laughing at things that should be scoffed at. Is it?!?

I need it viciously- for people to draw clear bold lines about jokes and seriousness. You don't get to joke about my insecurities. You don't get to call me mean things. You don't get to make me feel like an unimportant unworthy piece of ruin who deserves anything but kindness. Sorry, I don't approve.

Character Development

Gone through some vicious cycle,

A frequent breakage of trust?

A series of disappointments,

Dreams reduced to dust?

When shown your truest traits,

Been dismissed with disgust?

And yet when been your kindest self,

the world has been unjust?

Don't ponder much dear beautiful heart,

It's a little hard to adjust.

But once you get the flair of it, you'll know,

Character development is a must.

- Vanshika Singh

It's been raining all day. I'm not old yet but I'm not young either- stranded in a limbo of young adult. All my friends are cities away, and I'm wondering who I am. My friends are photos and texts. My friends are video calls on Friday nights, most anyways. My friends are one call away but my bones remember the miles between us, hundreds- even thousands. I'm not old yet, but my shoulders bear the weight of countless goodbyes. I'm not young either. I can place a call but I stare at the rain. I can send a text but I write a stupid poem.

-Ritika Jyala, excerpt from The Flesh I Burned

I am writing an enemies to lovers trope. The characters are me and myself.

How much of a poet/writer I am?

Tonight, while I was sleeping after a long day, I dreamt the plot of my next best seller. The one from the genre, I didn't like much or I thought I didn't. The scenes were real and well executed. I guess my brain is more of a poet/writer than I will ever be.

-VS