Reading a tragic ending

It is hard to describe how I feel, to articulate my grief

When I’ve read a sizable work of fiction with the belief

That things would work out for the jinxed protagonist in the end

Only to find that the main character never gets to make amends

And dies with unresolved issues, brokenhearted

I find myself mourning the fictional soul departed

I feel somewhat angry at the author for depriving

The protagonist of a chance at surviving

Through the odds created in the plot

I was rooting for the protagonist more than I had thought

*

I think I’m still looking for happy endings when I read

But fairytales are not written for adults indeed

Realistic characters have flaws, just like real people do

Sometimes they succumb to adverse circumstances too

But reading a story with a tragic ending leaves me

With a lingering sense of sadness and melancholy

*

After my initial anger, now I have come to appreciate

The masterpiece that the author has been able to create

A powerful, immersive and devastating read

This is still the kind of book my soul needs