The Stories We Tell & Those We Don't

By Mallika Chandrasekhar

Stories can take us to places

we never thought we’d go

like the soft spot of a lover’s arms

sometimes we carry our stories

like badges won in times of a personal war

or on our shoulders like epaulettes

we convey so much of ourselves

not only in the stories we tell

but also in those we don’t

sometimes we bury our stories

like opprobrious secrets

unprepared to face the consequences

but our stories don’t die

just because we hide behind them

they will continue to breathe in

the history of who we may have once been

affecting the slow motion and movement of our bodies

gathering momentum when we create or break

relationships-meaningful or mundane

Sometimes stories remain on our lips

and when we turn to plant a kiss on our lover’s lips

the experiences and emotions tumble out

scrambling to be heard, to be felt, to be accepted

our untold stories remain in our muscles and cell membranes

memories that never fade

stories can free us or inextricably bind us

we need to use our words and our voice

to make our stories turn into wings

bright, beautiful, powerful pinions

our stories deserve the same accentuation

as we desire for ourselves

whether our stories reveal our strengths or stature

or they expose our flaws and faults

they will continue to run deep

influencing the way we perceive and are perceived

stories are the way lies become truth become fact

finally becoming imprints that stay

long after we’ve left the stage of life

so tell your stories, or don’t

they will continue to shape the way we live our lives. 

By Mallika Chandrasekhar