Eraser Crumbs

poem

A mistake

made on a newly crafted
fragile and innocent

piece of paper

Silence became a thought

thoughts became words

words elegantly

caressed into the paper

I treat the words with care

meticulously crafting

the perfect combination

and style of words on paper

I’m proud of the work

i have accomplished 

praising it and 

valuing it high

Until I notice

an imperfection 

a flaw that I push to

the side multiple times

The mistake becomes a 

burden weighing on my

shoulders as each 

morning rises 

I stab at the paper

as each stroke of 

the eraser loses

a part of itself

Frantically trying to 

correct the wrong

leaves a nasty

remnant behind

A pool of eraser crumbs 

and a faint image

of what was once

allowed

Desperately trying to 

erase the faint image

will not do anything. Part

of it will remain forever

As the eraser crumbs fall
into the trash, I stare in dismay

and regret offering the

mistake a chance at life 

Reviews

[Green]

I love the way you describe the process of writing something here, 'Silence became a thought, thought became words, words elegantly, caressed into the paper'.
Unfortunately the mistakes are also a part of that process and it can be so frustrating to try and find the exact right way to say whatever it is you're thinking. I've found that I actually enjoy the process of going back and seeing all the various forms something went through before I finally arrived at whatever the final version looks like. It meant I stopped erasing my mistakes one day and just started crossing through them or rewriting to the side. Sometimes your mistakes are exactly what allow something better to happen, I guess sort of like this poem. Thank you for sharing it with us.

[Israr]

Thank you for your kind words! I also completely agree with the fact that mistakes are essential in all processes. Whether it's on a piece of paper, or in real life, mistakes are bound to happen and what's beautiful about it is that we have a chance to correct them and a chance to change. This story could be interpreted as a character struggling to accept that their work has an imperfection, and that is why they brush it off to the side several times before erasing it violently. Another interpretation I got from my friend was, the "fragile and innocent" paper could represent the narrator and the "mistake" could be a person coming into their lives that eventually hurts them. "a flaw that I push to the side, multiple times" could be the narrator refusing to accept that their friend is harmful to them, and at last, they realize that cutting them off is best. The faint image left behind could show the trauma/pain the narrator had to endure while the "mistake/friend" was in their life. It will never go away and serves as a memory to learn from and grow from.