Poem Reflects on Unpayable Debts of Life

Those who ask
ask what is the news
when met somewhere
seen on the road
on social media
on walls, on reels
everywhere

I want to say,
there is an unpayable debt
I want to tell
the state of being indebted
I am a person who lives in debt
this debt
is not written on paper,
nor does it have any due date

It cannot be finished by saying
it cannot be emptied by telling
the chain of debt

If the debt were only of money
there is debt of relationships
when entangled in life
of those who show the way

Of parents' sacrifice and dedication
of teachers' knowledge and guidance
of that first touch of love
which taught the heart
to beat
how much debt, how much

These debts
are not written on any paper,

These are like memories,
the more you try to forget
the deeper they become

The debt that can be repaid is only of money
all these things
I keep them in my heart and say
the news has been fine so far.

And, what about you?
the same answer is repeated
Fine!
Is everything really fine?
Inside that 'fine'
how much fatigue is there,
how many memories are there,
how many unsaid thank yous are there—
no one asks
we all
hiding the truth
give the same answer
and in between
our silence
becomes the biggest confession—
we all
live in some
uncomparable debt
perhaps
never to be repaid

The heart quietly asks—
Is everything really
fine?

Current: Castelo Branco, Portugal