Quicklinks:
Short S. | Poetry | Not News | Scripts | Comedy | Non-Fiction | SF | Crime | For Kids | Extended | Village
Great Writing - Home > Poetry > I don't want your sympathy
READING ROOM
Great Writing - Home
Read and review others' work
Articles on writing
Advice from the community
COMMUNITY
Talk to others in the forums
Events and Competitions
GW News
ABOUT GREAT WRITING
All About Us
Contact Us
WORK AWAITING REVIEW
GW IS...
Great Writing creative writing community is designed to prompt ideas and provide inspiration and motivation within aspiring and amateur authors. Whatever your topic; from love poetry to Doctor Who or Harry Potter fan fiction, Great Writing's online writing group is where you can make new friends and improve your creative writing.
WHO'S ONLINE
We have 1723 guests online and 11 members online
Poetry
print friendly version     
I don't want your sympathy
By BlueSteaksDarkAngel
13 April 2008
I wrote this poem shortly after my father's death.
For some reason I didn't cry very much over his death, but then again I never cry when people close to me pass away. When people say they're sorry I'm never sure what to say. Some merely think I'm okay while others think I have a stone heart, either way they eventually just leave me alone.

I don’t want your sympathy
I don’t think I could handle it
Don’t say you’re sorry
It wasn’t your fault

Please just stay here
I need your warmth
Just hold me
That’s all I ask

Give me time
To work it out on my terms
Let me hide away
In the corners of my mind

Don’t tell me to cry
If I stare at you blankly
I don’t want to
I need to carry on

Because if I stop
If I cry
I may come undone
And that would be the end.

Reviews

Written by Bottleblondesurfer (3590 comments posted) 13th April 2008
This is the first thing I've read on this site for a while and I just had to stop and comment on it. I thought it was a wonderful insight into a certain state of mind and so simply and unsentimentally expressed. It speaks volumes about the impossibility of expressing just how you feel about something like that. And the gap of inevitable misunderstanding of other people who want you to behave a certain way. The irony is that you write is so well but it would have been damn near impossible say it to anyone. I know just what you meant in the last verse. I found it very moving 
Death of your Fatherf
Written by Josie (2851 comments posted) 14th April 2008
Yes, you have put into words what many people feel. However, it is good, even in private, to have a good cry tp let the emotions come out. I think you will always feel upset about the death of someone close to you, and for me, there is never a day when I don't think of my parents who are dead, but the emotions are not feeling so sharp as if cut by a razor. So Iwill say to you: Just to let you know that I know how you feel and am thinking of you too. Hope that helps.

Written by Abigail (29 comments posted) 14th April 2008
I know exactly how you feel. I also got a lot of 'I'm sorries' back when my mother died. It's a pretty useless thing to say, and it doesn't help. Of course, it's even more awkward now when people act shocked and upset, and I just want to tell them "It's o.k., it was ten years ago." 
 
Like Josie said, I know how you feel and I'm thinking of you. Good luck and stay strong. 
 
Abigail

Written by pulltheletter (12 comments posted) 2nd August 2008
I have never had a parent die, but I know that people like to tell us how to feel in times of grief. Well written peice!

   Only registered users can rate and write comments.
   Please login or register.

Powered by AkoComment 2.0!
 Previous item   Next item
This site is copyright 2005 - 2007 Great Writing. Work submitted by members remains the copyright of the respective authors.
See our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.