The Weight You Left Behind

The poem "The Weight You Left Behind" explores the pain of betrayal and realizing that your loyalty was taken for granted.

The Weight You Left Behind

I had your back while you broke mine,
Carrying burdens you never saw,
My shoulders heavy with your grief,
But I was willing, always, to bear it all.

You needed someone, and I was there,
A mirror for your words, your fears,
A listener to your endless pleas,
Someone to blame, to calm your tears.

And when it ended, you walked away,
Like none of it had mattered,
You promised to put me first,
But all your promises were scattered.

You traded me for those you scorned,
The ones you said you'd never trust,
Chasing shadows, fitting in,
And leaving me behind, to rust.

Why choose a life of lies and fame,
When I offered something real?
A friendship that could stand the test,
A heart that would forever heal.

You knew from the start, didn’t you?
That I would never turn away,
That I'd hold your secrets close,
And never make you pay.

But in return, you used my trust,
A quiet heart, a silent friend,
I carried your weight, your worries too,
While you let the friendship end.

You pretended to listen, but never heard,
My words drowned out by your own pain,
I bared my soul, but you just turned,
To share your part, to ease your strain.

You knew, you know, the things I face,
But still, you walked, and left me here,
A ghost in the distance, invisible, erased,
While you made sure I disappeared.

You said you never felt cared for,
That you always gave, but never received,
Yet I stood there, always asking,
"How are you?" when you couldn’t believe.

So tell me, what am I to you?
Do my words mean nothing?
Am I just the friend that fades away,
While you chase the empty, hollow nothing?

You ignored my battles, my quiet cries,
Always your pain was louder, louder.
Until I began to wonder,
If my struggles even mattered.

Because to you, they never did,
Just a shadow in your endless storm,
And I see now, in your silence,
How small my heart has been, torn.

You acted like what I was going through was nothing,
because it just meant nothing to you.