Won’t You?

I came across the story of an immortal who spent 800 years all by himself and forgot what it is like to have any company; so much that when he finally got some company after all those years, he couldn’t bear to part with him. It made me think about how so many of us haven’t been out and about for the longest time (for good reason) and how we’d probably kill for some company right now. This poem is also about how time can actually end up meaning nothing when you make a meaningful connection with someone. We all learn to hold onto and cherish things that are actually important to us, over time.

Happy reading! Xx

---

The seasons have turned,
Faces have passed me by,
I’ve stood all alone
For the longest damn time;
So long since I’ve talked,
Barely heard my own voice,
By myself too long,
Too many goodbyes;

Nobody’s ever stayed,
Nor paid me any heed.

They came as they went,
With every turn of day,
Like the tides and the wind,
But nobody’s ever stayed,

So, won’t you?

Stood there so long,
By the old riverside,
I’ve stood all alone
For the longest damn time;
They all stay a moment,
Leave without goodbyes,
So long since I’ve said a word,
I don’t know what it’s like–

To have somebody stay,
To be paid any heed.

They came as they went,
With every shift in the moon,
Left me broken and bent,
I wish they’d stayed some more,

So, won’t you?

When the nights are long,
I long for moonlight
To illuminate a little more
Of days left behind,
I’ve stood here so long,
Faces passed me by,
But you’re the one that stayed,
Are you saying goodbye?

Is it a crime to make a habit,
To want you a little more?

They all came as they went,
But I hope you don’t;
You stayed so long,
You carved yourself a home
In the depths of my heart,
Clung to my roots and bones,

It’s been far too long
Since I’ve been called home,
Since anyone stayed,

So, won’t you?

~© Shubhangi Srinivasan.

---