We are all told to be careful around strangers but we are never taught how to navigate the betrayal of trust from those closest to us. I wrote this poem to express the pain, loss, and despair that comes when a loved one breaks our trust. And how we should never allow this pain to take away our faith and trust in others, and ourselves.
The series of images expresses the idea of strength and resilience that can come from within oneself, even in the absence of external support. The first image shows a lonely person standing aloof, but as the series progresses, the second image shows the shadows of supporters behind him, which symbolizes the strength and determination that stems from the support of others and the beginning of self-reliance.
This concept can be used to emphasize the idea that while external support can be beneficial, we also possess a great deal of strength and resilience within ourselves, and we can draw on our internal resources to overcome challenges when needed.
I sit with the noise of my mind,
the vibrations of my heart
and the chills of my soul.
And I think and ask and then forget
as if the brokenness of my heart and soul was an ordinary thing.
I go back to my childhood and remember my mother’s words “Do not trust strangers.”,
but what about loved ones? What about friends, families and lovers?
What about those who light up green windows inside our souls? Shall we trust them?
If only you told me about them, mother,
if only you warned me against them,
for only the close ones are capable of breaking me and snapping my bones.
It is the close ones, mother, who possess the arms to put out my heart’s light.
Because the truth
is that trust is not a fleeting issue that passes and passes with the days.
It is a humanitarian issue embodied in every person’s entity.
But I am not little anymore,
I have grown up and suffered.
And so I learned that trust is a pledge not deserved by everyone,
that not every close one is a friend
and not every loved one is trusted.
I learned that betraying trust is the ugliest kind of betrayal
and that there is nothing greedier than breaking the pledge.
For it makes you forget yourself
and creates an emptiness driving you towards loneliness.
So you scream and keep quiet and listen
and then realize...
That the absence of trust does not mean its loss,
because your lack of trust in one person
does not mean losing trust in all people.
For without trust and the breaking of trust we would not have become what we are.
So we suffered and pondered,
lived and survived.
Thus, I tell you and myself
trust is power not possessed by everyone
and freedom not felt except by a few.
So do not let whoever broke you own you
and remain confident, strong and rising.
Remain as you are
with your beauty,
your power
and your trust.
