On sad songs
(after Sting: “Why Should I Cry for You?”)
someone important wrote lyrics once
about not crying for a loved one
and I could never understand it,
though I listened raptly, day
after day
perhaps he wondered what tears
are worth when it’s penance
that is due
for bread unbroken
for worlds unsaid
I turned the dial to dead
I know the lyricist will ask whether
loving in his fashion was okay;
I put myself on trial every day,
see your eye-creased smile
on my wall,
when littered all about us is the
proof of our affection
in the full circle come round,
in the unmuted sound
Hayley Gibbons is a wife, mom and English teacher from East London, South Africa. Her poetry has been published in various online journals. She loves listening to Sting, strong coffee and writing poetry whenever she gets the chance.