i’ve become adept
at beating back
the darkness.
i’ve learned how
to grasp pain
by the throat
and strangle his voice
within the shadows.
i know how to press
Weakness deep
until his cries are
too faint to be heard
by anyone but me.
when you cut me,
i may bleed,
but i will not
let myself
grow faint
at the sight of it.
i know how
to bury betrayals
and disappointments
beneath my skin,
to create
the illusion
that i am untouched
by the latest dagger
life has plunged
into my back.
this false security
is a daring yet
solitary place.
if only i were in
hope’s reach,
my secret
might be revealed.
you might feel
my soul ache
and shift,
feel it trembling
beneath the surface.
to recognize
your lost self
behind my eyes.
i wait for someone
to remember
my light.