Longing for Recognition

I try my best to be a good son,

A good brother,

A good lover.

But everything I sacrifice for the people I care,

They just ignore it and see my insecurities.

In the quiet hours, I reflect alone,

The weight of their indifference a silent stone.

Every gesture, every effort made,

Goes unnoticed, like a shadow in the shade.

I give my all, my heart, my soul,

To see them smile, to make them whole.

Yet all they see are my flaws, my fears,

And the hidden pain behind my tears.

I try my best every time to provide,

To stand tall, with shoulders wide.

But all they do is make me feel,

That I am a failure, a wound that won’t heal.

The nights are long, the silence deep,

I lie awake, unable to sleep.

Haunted by thoughts of what I lack,

The love that I give, never given back.

I wear my heart on a sleeve of shame,

Longing for a kind word, a whisper of my name.

But the echoes in the halls are cold and stark,

Leaving my spirit fractured, left in the dark.

I wish they could see the battles I fight,

The demons that haunt me, night after night.

But all they see is the surface, the guise,

Not the turmoil that churns behind my eyes.

Each day I rise, determined to be,

The person they need, the best version of me.

But no matter how hard I strive or yearn,

Their affection and approval, I never earn.

So I’ll keep trying, in silent despair,

Hoping one day, they’ll notice and care.

Until then, I'll bear this heavy crown,

A good son, a good brother, a lover worn down.

© NILOY SHOUVIC ROY