1999
the space between my parents
used to be filled with
love, warmth
and mirth
happiness
and occasional tales of sadness,
financial adversity –
which used to be forgotten
when they held hands;
fights –
which used to be forgiven
when they kissed;
they didn’t talk
but communicated through eyes and loud bursts of laughter
on the walls,
there used to be doodles, bits of colours and paint
there was no food, no money, a hole in the roof
but it was a home.
2019
the space between my parents
is now
distance
distance filled with
anger, guilt
and regret
unwanted kids
and abortions
destitution –
the only constant in the past 20 years.
fights –
which are aggravated by whispers and grimaces
they talk
but no one listens
the walls now,
reek of screams and cries for help
somehow, there is plenty of food, an air conditioner and tons of furniture
but it is just a house now,
as sometimes, love isn’t enough.
Yana Roy wrote her first poem when she was only eleven years old. This year, she published her first e-book, My Dead Mother Is Alive.