Divorce

In the quiet aftermath, where dinner conversations
Used to dance like fireflies,
Now sits silence, a heavy guest, uninvited,
Taking up space between the fork and the plate.

The house, once a symphony of laughter and chaos,
Feels emptied, like the aftermath of a carnival,
Where echoes of joy haunt the abandoned rides,
And I, a solitary wanderer, roam its halls.

Mom's eyes, once lighthouses guiding us home,
Now flicker with a sadness, soft and withdrawn,
Dad's voice, once a melody in the evening air,
Carries a tremor, like a songbird, unsure and forlorn.

I've read the stories, seen the movies, heard the tales,
Of marriages like ships, sinking,
But never thought our family portrait would fray at the edges,
Leaving us clinging to the pieces, silently thinking.

Divorce, a word heavy with the weight of broken promises,
Whispers through our home like a winter's chill,
It's not just the parting of two hearts that once danced in unison,
But the division of a child's world, against their will.

The good? Perhaps it's the peace, like the eye of a storm,
Where screams and shouts no longer tear the night,
It's in the new beginnings, the hope of happier days,
In the understanding that sometimes, letting go is right.

The bad is in the birthdays, now a tale of two cities,
In the holidays that feel like negotiations,
It's in the "I miss you" left unsaid, because where do you send it
When home is now a concept

The consequences are in the growing up too fast,
In learning that love is not always a fairytale,
It's in the wisdom gained from pain, the resilience born of tears,
In finding strength within, when you feel frail.

For in the heart of a child caught in the riptide of divorce,
Lies a depth of understanding, profound and wise,
That love is not a life sentence, but a series of choices,
And from the ashes of the old, new beginnings can rise.

So here I stand, a teenager, amidst the ruins and the rubble,
Witnessing the transformation of the world I knew,
But within me burns a hope, fierce and undying,
That from this pain, from this loss, we will emerge anew.

For life is not a story of simply the good or the bad,
But a tapestry of experiences, woven with threads of all hues,
And though divorce has reshaped the landscape of my childhood,
It has also taught me about resilience, love, and the power of renew.

So let this poem be a testament, a beacon for those navigating,
The turbulent waters of change, of endings and of starts,
Remember, even in the deepest sorrow, there is a light that shines,
Guiding us forward, healing our hearts.

For we are more than the sum of our parents' choices,
More than the casualties of love's complex wars,
We are the architects of our destinies, the authors of our stories,
And in us, the strength of a thousand stars.