[Poetry] Breakdown

It’s not like in the movies—
When the girl cries softly,
Her teardrops falling gently,
Her lips plump and red like rubies.

It’s excruciating and loud—
With globs of tears leaving a trace
Of mascara staining her face,
In the only moment she’d allowed.

It’s carving your heart with every sob—
Heaving gasps of pain and despair,
Until you hear your heart pound through the air,
And remember there’s hope in every throb.

© Jade M. Wong


Reposted. The first of every month feels like a blank slate, so here I am, starting over again and remembering there’s still hope.

55 thoughts on “[Poetry] Breakdown

    • A very insightful perspective, Björn, thank you. Yes, I think the reason behind the tears as well as the reason for not giving up are definitely more important than the tears themselves. Still, sometimes, I think you need to just lose yourself in the moment and have yourself an ugly cry 😅

  1. oh yes! It’s not like in the movies….so well said! Crying can be….well….viscerally ugly if one looks at it carefully. Mascara running….nose running…..blotchy cheeks. But the emotion felt is a beautifully raw thing.
    And yes….good rhyme scheme as well.

  2. no make up artist on hand for perfect touch ups, tears flowing freely are the most beautiful form of expression, in all its ugliness – a very good take on the writing prompt Jade, just love this

    • Beautifully said Gina, that’s right, in real life there are no make up artists or stylists to make you look perfect. You simply are who you are, and you must the beauty in yourself. I’m glad you enjoyed the poem, Gina!

  3. I like the flow of your poem, so natural. Crying can be ugly but I think there is beauty in the release. Thanks for joining in with the prompt. 🙂

    • Aww thank you. I agree, crying can be extremely soothing and cleansing and sometimes, it helps so much to just let everything out. It was my pleasure to participate in the prompt. Thank you for hosting this week!

  4. Your poem is deceptively well-structured, Jade, with a subtle rhyme scheme and conversational tone. And you’e right – it’s never like the movies.I love the way you’ve captured the ugliness of a good old sob in the list of three ‘It’s agonizing and excruciating and loud’ and the ‘globs of tears, and I felt the pain ‘carving your heart with every sob’. The beauty of it is captured so well in the final lines!

    • Thank you so much Kim! I had wanted to capture the feel of a conversation in this poem and I’m glad you felt that was conveyed. No, nothing is ever truly like the movies, I think. Thank you for reading and sharing your insightful comments!

    • Thank you so much! Yes, there is beauty in sadness, if we choose to see it. Hope is definitely, as Emily Dickinson wisely said, “the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul”. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts, Dorianna!

    • Thank you very much! I agree, movies and tv shows never hit reality on the mark, but I suppose that’s why they’re movies and not real life. I’m glad you enjoyed this poem, and I’m glad we have a mutual friend in Gina! She’s such a wonderful and perceptive person. Thank you for stopping by, Gospel Isosceles 🙂

  5. This is a very real and heartfelt poem, Jade. Being sad is not all pretty and most of the time we don’t look put together when we’re going through hard times. I like that you ended the poem on a hopeful note. Sometimes hope comes from the darkest place or in the moments when we want to give up. And sometimes all we need is a good crying moment and then we feel alright once again to move forwards.

    • Thank you for your response and for sharing your thoughts! You’re right that most of the time, most of us are not as put-together on the inside as we appear on the outside. I’m glad you liked the hopeful ending to this poem. I appreciate you being here.

      P.S. Apologies for the late reply! I’ve been away from this blog for so long, but trying to come back now!

    • Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed this poem and noted the moment of hope.

      P.S. Apologies for the late reply. I’ve been away from this blog for so long!

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