Second-hand Smoke – A Poem by Pranay Pareek

Image: Splintering Bone Ashes

There are, always,  somethings you never ask for.

So rip apart that crumpled page
And throw up a flare in the sky
As we walk alone
Through this wreckage of my thoughts

Stare at your cold reflection
In that empty mirror
What would u see?
The writing on the stone
Of a memory u never asked for?
Of the pain, guilt u never hoped to find?

Let’s play this game
We’ve always been so good at
Walk on this bed of rusted nails
Race until u can’t catch your breath
Remember that mirror?
I might break something tonight

There’s always light to look for
When it’s pitch dark
And there’s always rain
To wipe away those tears we never asked for
Whoever said the angels always had wings, lied.

As for that part of me
I’ll never let it fall apart
That’s a reason
That there’s a meaning to my name
That star, galaxy
I wouldn’t stray from

So while u look at me with your closed eyes
Like always, I’ll let my guard down

I know I’m gonna break something tonight

The day that I gave up?
Would be the day I died.