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A toothless, timeless existence hides within me,

Yet I still hope for a better time, a brighter one,

Where people truly understand each other without the need to nod,

And where each of us holds our own freedom of speech.

 

I don’t know how to be what I’m not, for I never have.

I could not fit into different moulds,

So I often sat alone behind four walls,

Wondering what my purpose in life might be.

 

Then, when I was left alone, I realised one thing:

That no one in the world can be a true friend

Except for a mother, who loves her child the most.

 

Perhaps I searched too much for others around me,

I turned a little hope into true love.

So often I waited for a better time,

There, around the street’s corner, the dark colours of despair were painted.

 

My hopes, overpainted and weary, became the prey of loneliness,

Because I still failed to see how desolate my life was.

I did not have the right people by my side

To point out the path in which I often lost myself.

 

Don’t break my hopes, dear (not) people!

I still have the strength to take steps forward.

But the question is—could you ever defeat yourself,

Knowing that you lie about me, though you have never met me?

 

And while I ask myself, a new day slowly comes to meet me,

With new thoughts to remind me that it is not all about me.

Only the things of inestimable worth lie in my hands:

Myself as a character, and my heart as the lesson for the wiser souls around me.

 

With a dash of wisdom, I seek the story of my truth,

And as the years pass, I still feel just one thing:

That, after all, I am the one who strives to make others happy,

And cannot seem to make myself happy at any moment.

 

I keep quiet and bow my head, as I do today, for I know no other way,

Though I know that one day I will break—and for a reason.

Then I shall ask myself whether the others around me are to blame for this,

Or if it is my silence where so many of my hopes have been broken.

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Maid Čorbić, from Tuzla, is 25 years old. In his spare time, he writes poetry that has been repeatedly praised and awarded. He also selflessly helps those around him and serves as a moderator of the World Literature Forum WLFPH (World Literature Forum Peace and Humanity), promoting peace and humanity worldwide. He is ranked as the 44th poet in the world and 5th in the Balkans. On Facebook, he has achieved over 10,000 recognitions and successes. His works have reached many countries across the globe and have been featured in numerous influential magazines in India, Indonesia, Bhutan, the Balkans, San Marino, and many other nations.