The Weight We Didn’t Share
When Dad stayed long in hospital care,
He lost his job; the bills grew tall.
Mum bore the load—it wasn’t fair,
Her wages barely stretched at all.
She paid for bread, a phone at most,
While hospital lights stole time and peace.
My father once our pride and post,
Now fading fast, his strength on lease.
The breadwinner gone, we lost our way,
My brother, Mum and I stood bare.
He couldn’t work, we couldn’t stay
The world had shifted past repair.
I was twenty-three, just grown,
My brother, twenty-six and spent.
Though we both earned, we stood alone,
Each cent we made on basics went.
The lights went out, the nights grew cold,
The mortgage mocked our every breath.
The house that once felt strong and bold
Now hummed with silence, debt, and death.
He cracked beneath the mounting weight,
And left to live with someone new.
While I remained to bear our fate,
And do what daughters sometimes do.
My youth dissolved in sleepless nights,
While Mum held on with fraying mind.
No warmth, no power, no glowing lights
Just pain we couldn’t leave behind.
We sold the house, we had no choice,
The past was packed in boxes tight.
I stayed, the quiet, loyal voice
He ran, and vanished from our sight.
It’s been fifteen hard-fought years
Since life first broke and left its scar.
But still I carry all those tears,
And wonder where the hell you are.
I’ve learned to live with cracked regard
With loss, with rage I try to hide.
But I still hate you, brother
hard—
For walking out when Dad had died.
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Unpack the emotional layers of The Weight We Didn’t Share in this powerful, in-depth poem analysis. This printable PDF explores themes of abandonment, resilience, and fractured family bonds through a raw and reflective lens. With clear literary insights and space for your own handwritten notes, it’s perfect for personal reflection, creative writing study, or literature discussion.
Format: A4 | Printable | Includes space for notes
