A Boy
by Hemang Domadia, India. Third place in the Writory International Poetry Contest, September 2025, scored 93 out of 100.
A Boy by Hemang Domadia I am a boy running roller coasters in my head, Can't get life together, can't move out of bed. Every morning hits like a slap to the face, Another silent scream in an endless race. The ceiling's a map of all my fears, Tracing the cracks with dried-up tears. Everyone says, "It'll pass, just wait," But waiting feels like tempting fate. I whisper to walls that never reply, Ask the mirror why I even try. The lights are on but nothing's bright, My shadow flickers, clinging to night. People walk past, but never see, The ghosts I cradle inside of me. I wear a smile, stitched in pain, Just to prove I'm "mostly sane." Music plays, but I feel no sound, Like sinking deep and never being found. I scroll through joy I cannot feel, Swiping past wounds that never heal. The world spins fast while I stay still, Swallowed whole by a bitter pill. Laughter echoes like a lie, And I'm too tired to even cry.
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