To those who write Sad Poems

So how is the morose poets’ community

Hope they’re doing well,

Fighting sharks with pens,

Or wandering in the dungeons of hell.

Writing something cheesy, or corny, or mad,

Depending on their current mood elevation level of sad.

I’d say look at the bright side,

Don’t think about bad things

what life has taken doesn't matter,

Think about what it brings,

I'd again say look at the bright side,

and don't torment yourself with petty thoughts.

But to be honest,

Anger is pretty bright too,

And so is grief

Like the sunset hue.

Grief - it’s strong too,

like the paper its drawn to,

Which now, is an “elegy.”

At least it’s honest, like a toddler,

unsullied by duplicity.

But are there any other ways?

Because being honest is important too.

Some may say, “you can’t lie

If you never speak”

But is it true?

Is it the right way?

Right or not I’d say is epistemic.

But I can tell you

The important thing in all this

Is no matter what;

BE YOURSELF.

~A Singh

backstory:

If you’ve read some of my poems, you’ll know I don’t like writing sad ones much. Pouring grief onto paper is a big no-no for me, I prefer journaling for that. Not only this, but I also used to think of people who wrote sad poems as weird, until I met a friend who explained to me how everyone’s emotional setup and way of expression are different. He even connected it to the anekāntavāda (many-sidedness) of Jainism, where we value everyone’s arguments and don’t force ours on others. That’s what changed my mind: it doesn’t matter how you express your grief. In the end, you just need to be happy and YOURSELF.