More Than You Think

By Harshini Iyer

A collection of poetry written over the span of a decade. These poems chronicle some of the darkest shadows that the author hides, but also show the journey she has undertaken to become more self-empowered.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jul 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781794744967

Book preview

What Matters to You

What matters to you?

Maybe chocolate, or having some gum to chew

Or maybe explosions or things that go boom

Maybe even stuff to do with goo!

Everyone has something which matters to them

So what about you?

Maybe you just like the word adieu

Or maybe you like stuff that is new

Or maybe you like standing in queues

Maybe it’s chocolate fondue

Or maybe it’s water-skiing or riding in a canoe

Everyone likes having something to do

What matters to you?

It could be using strawberry shampoo

Or maybe it’s Corbin Bleu

It could be having daily dew

But please tell me what matters to you

I’ll tell you what matters to me,

Knowing who is my friend and enemy

Knowing that I am free

Reading books, you see

Planning my future also matters to me

Imagining things that could and would be

Knowing my family tree

All this matters to me

So what, pray tell, matters to thee?

Please tell me what matters to you

Maybe it’s having a schedule to stick to

Or maybe it’s knowing there’s always something to do

But please tell me what matters to you

Oh

It’s me

I matter to you

So do your friends and chocolate fondue

You hate standing in queues

But I matter to you.

Never mind riding in a canoe

Or Corbin Bleu

But I matter to you

You don’t care about strawberry shampoo

And it’s weird to like having daily dew

But I matter to you

Thank you

Dead Girls Aren’t Hated

For 18 years you’ve told me

I hate you

This is why everyone dislikes you

You annoy everybody

Yet you still expect me to believe you

When you say

Darling, I love you

You tell me how I am the cause

For all the fights between you

For the bad habits my sister has

For the things that go wrong at home

Yet you still expect me to believe you

When you say

Darling, I love you

You are constantly saying how I

Need to lose weight to look thinner

Still need to grow into my nose

Learn how to not be me and to be a new you

Yet you still expect me to believe you

When you say
Darling, I love you

You tell me how difficult I’ve made your life

With my medical problems

With my educational problems

With my problems

Yet you still expect me to believe you

When you say

Darling, I love you

But I am your daughter

You are my parents

Our love is supposed to be unconditional

But I know it is not

You may love me when you want to

But I know that deep down

You hate me for who I am

You congratulate me

When I win something

When we’re in public

When you have your image to uphold

You may love me when you want to

But I know that deep down

You hate me for who I am

You say you don’t have favourites

But whose trophies are on display

Whose photos are displayed publicly

And who is rarely seen

You may love me when you want to

But I know that deep down

You hate me for who I am

When we’re out and about

You smile and laugh with me

We take dozens of photos

The perfect happy family

You may love me when you want to

But I know that deep down

You hate me for who I am

So that is why

This rope is being tied

This gun is being loaded

These pills are spilling over my hand

This razor is brand new

This knife is being sharpened

This bath is being overrun

So that is why

I distanced myself

From all of my closest friends

From my favourite cousins

From those family friends we see all the time

From my teachers

From that therapist I saw

So