I’ve Travelled These Roads

I’ve travelled these roads
like a wild mongrel
looking for a place to sleep in the shade
like some old lover
passing by his ex’s balcony
hoping she would come out to say hello.

she comes out
but with her husband
and the old lover
runs like a coward
or hides behind a bush
crying, out of his mind.

I’ve travelled these roads
where the old
die of loneliness
and cats run into strange dark homes at night
hoping to find food
where wives cry themselves to sleep
bruised, battered and raped
hoping one day
justice will arrive at their doorstep.

The old drunkard sleeps
on the pavement
too afraid to go to his wife
there’s a new-born who shouts its lungs out
hoping to gain attention.

The city sleeps
these roads sleep
and all the dark mysteries
of human life
come running forth
into the open.

Only the walls know
the tears of the weak.

Debottam Saha is a poet and aspiring novelist. His first volume of poems is called ‘Footprints of Chaos’. You can find him on Twitter @de_bottam.

Featured image: Danish Prakash/Unsplash