Empty Promise

In this reflective poem by Fiction Editor Allegra Hinton, LVI, contrasts hopeful promises with the harsh realities of pain and sorrow.

Allegra Hinton

Fiction Editor, 2025

CD

Photography by Chloe Dent

Senior 9

I was told that love conquers, a light in the night, That even in darkness, we can reach a new height. Yet shadows encroach, and the laughter we make, Is often eclipsed by the heartaches that shake.

I was told that time heals, like a gentle embrace, That painful memories soften, giving way to grace. But time can be cruel, and the wounds run deep, As we mourn what we’ve lost, with the pain that we keep.

I was told that hope lingers, a flame that won’t die, That even in sorrow, we can learn to fly.
But the weight of the world can dim this spark, As joy feels so distant, when swallowed by the dark.

I was told that laughter can chase shadows away, That joy can be found in the light of the day. Yet laughter can falter, and shadows will creep, Leaving echoes of sorrow in the silence we keep.

So when they tell me, using their freedom of speech, That their words are the truth, and it’s joy that they teach, I smile at the ground, and in my heart know, That their words are faceless, and their meanings are faux.