The Things We Never Say Out Loud I Poem By Kirtana.D
The Things We Never Say Out Loud
When we are born,
we have no words
only cries,
Tiny hands reaching
For someone to hold them.
And perhaps,
Even then,
we are saying,
“Please stay.”
As children,
We say everything.
We ask a thousand questions,
Laugh without hiding,
And cry without shame.
But sometimes,
We swallow a little sentence
“I’m scared.”
“Don’t leave me.”
“I wish you understood.”
And we grow.
Then comes teenagehood,
When feelings become oceans
And words become stones.
We type long messages
And delete them.
We rehearse apologies
That never leave our lips.
We say, “I’m fine,”
When what we mean is,
“Please notice that I’m not.”
We hide behind laughter,
Behind screens,
Behind a simple “nothing.”
And we grow some more.
In the middle of life,
We become busy.
Bills, work, responsibilities
Days begin running
Before we can catch them.
We want to say,
“I’m tired.”
“I need you.”
“I wish we had more time.”
But tomorrow always seems
Like a better day to say it.
So tomorrow becomes
Another tomorrow.
And then, in old age,
We sit with memories
Instead of plans.
We remember the friend
We never called,
The hand we never held,
The apology we postponed,
The love we assumed
Would always be understood.
And suddenly,
All those unsaid words
Come back
Not louder,
But heavier.
Because a lifetime
Can be measured in years,
But sometimes
It is measured
In all the things
We wished we’d said.
So perhaps,
While we still have time,
We should say
“I love you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.”
“I missed you.”
“Stay a little longer.”
Because words left,
Unspoken do not disappear.
They grow quietly with us,
From childhood,
Through youth,
Through the middle of life,
Until one day,
They become the echoes of a lifetime.
We never said Out loud.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the central message or theme of the poem?
The poem explores how human beings suppress their true feelings and vulnerability at every stage of life. Its core message is a call to action: we should express love, forgiveness, and gratitude while we still have time, rather than carrying the heavy weight of regret in old age.
2. How does the poem track the passage of time?
The poem follows a chronological journey through five stages of human life:
- Infancy: Crying and reaching out to communicate “Please stay.”
- Childhood: Asking endless questions while suppressing quiet fears (“I’m scared”).
- Teenagehood: Hiding deep emotions behind screens, typed-and-deleted messages, and simple phrases like “I’m fine.”
- Adulthood (Middle of Life): Postponing heartfelt conversations due to work, bills, and the illusion that there will always be a “tomorrow.”
- Old Age: Reflecting on a lifetime of unsaid words that have grown heavy with regret.
3. What are some of the main unsaid phrases highlighted in each phase?
- Childhood: “I’m scared,” “Don’t leave me,” “I wish you understood.”
- Youth / Adolescence: “Please notice that I’m not [fine].”
- Adulthood: “I’m tired,” “I need you,” “I wish we had more time.”
- Old Age / Final Call: “I love you,” “I’m sorry,” “Thank you,” “I missed you,” “Stay a little longer.”
4. What poetic devices and imagery does the author use?
- Metaphor: “Feelings become oceans and words become stones” illustrates how heavy and overwhelming communication becomes during youth.
- Personification: “Words left unspoken… grow quietly with us” gives unsaid thoughts a living presence that expands over time.
- Contrast: The open, unashamed expression of a child is contrasted with the guarded, secretive silence of teenagers and busy adults.
5. What happens to “unspoken words” according to the poet?
Unspoken words do not simply disappear; instead, they remain with us quietly through every stage of life, eventually turning into heavy echoes of regret during old age.
6.Where can you buy the books?
You can buy the books at Bookosmia.com and Amazon.in
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This article is published by Bookosmia, India’s #1 publisher for and by young people. Bookosmia publishes stories, books, podcasts, events, TED-Ed talks, workshops, bedtime stories and more related to kids and young adults.
Photo Credit – AI generated images from Chat GPT, Jetpack Image generator and Magic Media from Canva .
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