Sanjana Reddy
In 19 years of my life,
I never met a man quite right.
I had a father who existed,
like he never really existed.
All the love he ever gave
came in screams,
in bruises,
in the silence of his absence.
But still, I lived a life
they all remember,
nothing less than what it takes,
just because there was no man
holding my hand
when I rode a bike for the first time,
or on the nights I cried myself to sleep.
I lived a life on my own.
And all I ever wanted
was to be loved.
You...
I thought you were the king
meant to lead this queen
to the palace she had longed for.
But you…
turned out to be
just another version of my dad.
My heart sinks heavy as I say this,
but I won’t be
another version of my mom.
I remember
the days I begged her to leave him.
And now,
I make my choice,
To leave you here
today -
Queen.