Weltschmerz
By June Jasmine

ˈvelt-ˌshmerts | noun
Origin: German, from Welt ‘world’ + Schmerz ‘pain’

there is a similar word in telugu     vairaagyam
and in urdu     ghum-e-duniya
why isn’t there a word for this in english? 
i want to be able to say


i won’t be at work tomorrow, 
i am taking a weltschmerz day.

i want to ask a friend to come over
i will put the kettle on and we can weltschmerz.

what color  are my eyes? lately, they're weltschmerz.

the world is ending and I want a weapon.
save me now
throw me a word.

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June Jasmine writes about belonging, identity, and the meaning of home. Her poems are forthcoming in Zhagaram Literary Magazine and The Museum of Human Hearts anthology by Third Moon Press. When asked about her practice, she says, “When I write, I am home.”

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Artwork Source: “Kümmernis,” by Egon Schiele. From the Public Domain.