DROWNING IN SILENCE

andron oyoo
@andronoyoo061802
1 month ago

Have you ever felt like you are drowning?
Drowning not because you can’t swim,
But because you’ve lost the umph to paddle.
You can’t see where the shoreline is,
And the only raft within reach—
You don’t know how to climb on top of it.

Each time you try, you slip back into the water,
Breaking the raft,
Yet it’s the only one you have.
You stare at the waves,
Hoping the sun’s glimmer
Reveals a better raft to hold onto.
But you remain stuck with this one,
Caught in a tiring back-and-forth.

You want to let go,
But letting go isn’t an option.
Survival feels like a blind man’s journey,
Every step stubbing your toes on unseen rocks.
The pain makes you teary,
But as an African man,
You cry inwards—
Wearing a mask that grows heavier each day.

The mask takes its toll.
You must be there for those
Who can never be there for you.
So you let it out, stroking it down,
Sharing your burden with an audience—
Leaving them as traumatized as you.

They judge you not—
But the persona you’ve created.
You want to keep writing,
But words fail to capture the weight.
So you put the pen down,
Look to the sky,
And wonder where your refuge will come from.

---