A Thread of Light

There’s a lump in my throat, a vise around my chest,

My head is buzzing like a broken machine.

I reach out to grab anything, but something pulls me back,

And the ground beneath my feet begins to split.

I’m scared. Terrified. There isn't enough air,

The silence is heavy, words feel too faint.

I’m not trying to run away from who I am,

Just from what feels impossible to bear.

And yet... a thin thread of light gleams in the dark.

A possible tomorrow I keep stepping toward.

This future both calls to me and suffocates me at once:

I dread it completely, yet it's the reason I survive.

I don't want to fade away into the shadows,

I’m not throwing existence away—

I just want to let go of this crushing weight,

So I can finally, truly live.