THE FOLLOWING POEM WAS SELECTED IN WINGWORD POETRY PRIZE 2023 LONGLIST.

Something was missing deep inside,

My soul, if you get it,

When I was smiling creepily looking at the mirror,

Thinking about other people's misery,

Their fallacy, mistakes,

Reliving in pleasure,

As if untouched by empathy,

Yes, for a moment I've become numb of all emotions,

Selfish to the core, to fill my heart with false sense of superiority,

I was devoid of all goodness,

I was prancing with self- conceit,

Yet, that was short-lived as I came back to myself,

How far can pessimism take someone,

How far can those negative thoughts fuel your egos,

In the end you feel empty, heart feels heavy with guilt,

A very dangerous feeling indeed,

But it is part of being human they say,

It's a test we have to give from time to time,

In the difficulties when we feel like a failure,

Or not good enough, yet how humble can we be,

How much strength's inside, to put a smile on face,

But these darknesses will lurk yet how we overcome them,

And keep fighting with them and ourselves,

To be better than now, yes that is life,

Yes that is life