No one noticed, no one cared.
Every day struggling
To keep it together
-
Every time problems arose;
She handled them herself
*
No one noticed, no one cared.
As the pressure got to her
She knew she could not give up
-
As she nursed wounds
mental and physical
*
No one noticed, no one cared
Silent tears, unheard complaints
Kept her head down, ashamed
-
Every step forward she made
Life kicked her right back
*
No one noticed, no one cared.
Every time something went wrong
She put on a brave face
-
The hurt she held deep within
Wages of other's errors and sins
*
No one noticed, no one cared.
Hurt she tried to push aside,
she fought with day and night
-
Just kept going, despite it all
Struggling, but surviving
*
No one noticed, no one cared
-
Would you?
*
Thanks for reading!
This originally started as a microfiction about a homeless woman, but as I wrote it, it became something else different.
If you have time and inclination here are a couple of other recently published pieces:
You can also take a look at the rest of my work here.
About the Creator
Paul Stewart
Award-Winning Writer, Poet, Scottish-Italian, Subversive.
The Accidental Poet - Poetry Collection out now!
Streams and Scratches in My Mind coming soon!
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Keep reading
More stories from Paul Stewart and writers in Poets and other communities.
AUGUST 1976
I was listening to some reaction videos on the internet the other day when I "re-discovered" one of THE greatest and uniquely American songs I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. I forgot that Arlo Guthrie comes from a sturdy stock of great folklorists-namely his father Woody Guthrie. I associate Arlo with "Alice's Restaurant", so much so that I forgot he is an exceptional storyteller in his own right.
By Victor Mendezabout 18 hours ago in Poets
Comments (18)
Wow! Powerful words. I volunteer at a homeless shelter, and I have known many who fit this description. I like to think I would notice and care, but the reality is there are many times I see people struggling and do little to help. This is a call to action to do more! Thank you, Paul! π
Truth! I imagine we all wish we could care even more but there just isn't enough of us...
A very poignant piece. I see how this is the pre-cursor to your other introspective poem, βNoticed, Caredβ. Both great poems!
I agree with Donna on her take on how you decided to change directions after staring the writing project as something else. You noticed And you cared to see it become a great poem. π
Paul this was a beautiful poem! I love the anecdote that you shared about this starting as a micro fiction and it went another direction! This really makes me smile, a sign of a great author (in my opinion) is not bending the will of the story to do your bidding but bending to the will of the story. The line βNo one noticed, no one cared.β Hit hard each time you repeated it, feeling heavier with each syllable each time. This was such an emotional poem for me, really thought provoking and cause for some self reflection! Nicely done Paul!
I study people I know very closely, so Iβm sure I would. I can also just feel when someone is not fine, no matter how they behave. I have the opposite problem of caring about people more than they care about themselves, which has burned me in the past. But at least if I could make a difference, I know I would. Very thought provoking poem, Paul! Thanks for publishing this, and I like the inclusion of how this started out differently. I always think those are the best pieces of writing, when they flow out almost independently of the writer.
Hmm, people can hide it so well though. Behind laughter, anger, distance...not hard to do really. And do people notice? They've got their own stuff that no one is noticing. Such a sad reality as we go about our days being independent and self-sufficient. When community isn't embraced but divided. Very thought-provoking piece. Wonderfully penned :)
If we see/aid just one person in need, therein we begin. Our busy lives get darker and darker, spare a moment to see one life. Your heart will thank you.
This was so emotional! It's so sad to know that many go unnoticed.
Sad but so true!
This carried such an important message! Thanks for this reminder to truly see those around us. Excellent work, Paul!
I wish I could answer, "Yes," to your query. But we all know that someone always goes unnoticed whenever there is more than one involved.
As always, your words are so pure and powerful! I loved the repetition in this. Amazing, thoughtful work! β€οΈ
Amazingly powerful piece, Paul. Thank you for sharing this with us. And I love your inclusion of the journey this piece went on to reach us in its current form! Beautiful work, friend π
I'd like to think so.
Oooh, such an emotionally stirring piece, Paul! Beautifully done! I hope I would notice! π«π
OMG!!! Left a heart!!!
Oh damn. I sure hope I would notice.