On Hearing Bad News Poem by Angela Wybrow

All around me, folks' spirits were high,
But I just wanted to sit there and cry.
Having just had a really big shock,
Inside of me, my voice was now locked.
I could not sing, I could not dance;
To digest the news, I needed a chance.
The news I'd received affected my mood -
Afterwards, I was feeling pretty subdued.
From the moment that the announcement was made,
I felt the happiness inside me instantly fade.
The sadness inside me threatened to rise,
And make salt tears fall from my eyes.
I had to stop myself from breaking down;
Upon my face, there was a worried frown.
After each song, I applauded politely;
I smiled vaguely, but not very brightly.
The news in my mind was so hard to bear,
So it was only in body that I was there.
All around me, the world seemed in riot,
But I just wanted to think and be quiet.
I really just wanted to be on my own,
Now that seeds of sadness were sewn.
That all was not well, I had been told,
But this revelation left me quite cold.
Of certain details, I had not been aware,
So I felt shocked when they were shared.
As the orchestra played summer themed pop,
I wanted to push the button marked STOP!
As people danced around in the aisles,
I sat in my seat with a watery smile.
Within the hall, I was feeling quite trapped;
The energy within me was suddenly sapped.
A part of me wanted to let out a scream.
A part of me felt trapped in a bad dream.
Sat there beside me, my friend sang along,
But to me at that moment fun felt so wrong.
That I felt happy, I just could not pretend;
I wanted to fast forward the event to its end.
I wished I could be anywhere other than there,
As the news I'd received I found hard to bear.
As the last of the performers left the stage,
I was able to escape from my circular cage.
Through Hyde Park, my friend and I walked;
About the news, my friend and I talked.
I was glad to get away from the din,
And get the chance to take it all in.