GRIEF Poem: A Life Constrained: Balancing Duty and Dreams by Chloe Talle

In this house, where walls feel close,

I juggle school and chores, barely compose.

Cooking, cleaning—tasks never cease,

While my thirst for knowledge finds no peace.

They say education should light my way,

But my studies are scorned at the end of day.

This life feels like an unexpected cage,

Where joy and growth can’t take center stage.

I’m always afraid: what did I do wrong?

What sparked their anger, made them respond?

They think it’s stress that clouds my mind,

Or am I doomed by traits of my kind?

I’m strong enough to weather this storm,

But for others, I must keep up a form.

To shield them from this life so cold,

While my true self starts to fold.

How can I give what I’ve never known?

A peaceful life, in this house overgrown

With fear, worry, and endless tasks,

Where simple joys are hard to grasp.

This home, a maze of constant dread,

Leaves no room for hope ahead.

I long to break free from these chains,

To find a place where my true self reigns.