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Free Verse

The man I once looked up to has failed me


A universal donor who couldn’t save me

His blood flows through my veins

Giving life to my body.

 

Held my hand and led the way

To leave me feeling astray 

Cosseted me, loved me, failed me

All the same.

 

“میں تم سے پیار کرتا ہوں” became a lie

Inherited my last name, Baluch

Heard stories of the camels we rode

Ancestors who paved the way

The Baluch house already under my name

The ‘legacy’ I must carry

Now considered a burden on my back.

 

From wanting it all to feeling trapped

Once felt joy now soaks my pillowcase at night

The man I once knew no longer lies behind those eyes.

 

Hollowness now stares at me 

His smile no longer one I mimicked

Hate flows through the blood I received from him

The man I once looked up to has failed me.

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Sophiabaluch

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▾ This Poem's Voice

Your Poem's Voice

PersonalThemeAbstract

Mostly personal/autobiographical exploration of father-daughter relationship and inherited identity.

SparseMeasureDense

Multiple layered ideas: familial betrayal, cultural legacy, disillusionment woven densely throughout.

DarkSentimentBright

Predominantly negative: betrayal, failure, hate, burden, hollowness, disappointment dominate.

StillEnergyExplosive

Emotional intensity builds through accusations and revelations; moderate linguistic force.

MicroLengthEpic

Approximately 24 lines; falls in 16-30 line range.

PlainFigurativeOrnamented

Metaphors of blood/inheritance, personification of hate; ornamental yet controlled language use.

LyricVoiceDramatic

Primarily lyric internal voice addressing absent father; minimal dramatic persona shift.

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