Survive by Sanika Nalgirkar

                         Matthew Paul Argall CC



SURVIVE

Tough for me, but easy for others
Always 2 steps behind, while others were 4 steps ahead
Never understood anything
Cursing myself on being so slow-witted

Humiliated by how quick others grasp it all
Fingers pointed at me with laughter erupting
Criticized by many
I had started to believe them

Lying on the floor, with bruises on my face
And a force pushing me to the ground
Gathered all my strength to stand up
I was burdened by it all

A fake mask covering my face
Of laughter and joy
Little did they know,
I was the girl who had no reason to smile

Anger boiling inside me,
Coming out from my eyes.
It wasn’t worth it
The line had finally crossed

I had no purpose, no motivation, nor any goal
Every day was torture
I wanted to end it all
No pain, No burden, No trouble

My conscience always stopped me
And encouraged me to keep fighting,
To keep moving forward
There were better times ahead

As I look at my past
I feel proud of myself
A thousand arrows in me
But, I survived!

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Sanika Nalgirkar has a Bachelor’s in science from India and is currently pursuing Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Poetics at the University of Washington, Bothell. She is a part of an online magazine HerCampus at UW Bothell. Her friend and her have created an online blog to which they have contributed poems, book reviews and articles.

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