Poet Details
- Anushka Pattanaik,
- 9th grade,in Nequa Valley Highschool in Naperville, Illinois
- 14 years old
Alone in a crowded room,
Surrounded by people yet feeling consumed
By a sense of emptiness and despair,
A feeling of loneliness that seems so unfair.
No one truly understands,
The emptiness that grips my hands
And pulls me down into the depths of my soul,
Where darkness reigns and takes its toll.
I try to reach out, to connect,
But my efforts seem to deflect
Off the walls of indifference and apathy,
Leaving me feeling lost in a sea of empathy.
But then, out of the silence, a word is spoken,
A simple gesture that leaves me feeling awoken
From the depths of my loneliness and despair,
A glimmer of hope in a world so unfair.
That word, so small yet so profound,
Begins to lift me off the ground
And fills my heart with joy and light,
Banishing the darkness of the night.
Suddenly, I am not alone,
For in that word, a seed is sown
Of friendship and connection that grows so strong,
Filling my heart with a joyful song.
I realize that I am not truly empty,
For in that word, I find plenty
Of love and warmth and understanding,
A bond that is truly outstanding.
So even in my moments of loneliness and despair,
I know that there is someone who cares out there
Who cares enough to speak a word,
And lift my spirits like a joyful bird.
And in that moment, I am happy,
For in that word, I find a key
To unlock the door to my frozen heart,
And let the love and joy impart.
So I cherish each word spoken to me,
For in those words, I find the key
To a life of love and care I’d known,
Breaking the walls in my heart of stone.
No longer alone, no longer empty,
For in those words, I find plenty
Of warmth and love;
Friendship and care, to fill my soul,
and makes me feel, truly whole.
