In the silence of my darkest thoughts,
A battle rages, unseen by all.
I wear a mask, my true self caught,
In shadows where I often fall.
The mirror shows a face I dread,
A stranger’s eyes, so cold and grim.
Echoes of harsh words in my head,
Drowning out the light within.
Every flaw, a scar that bleeds,
Every mistake, a heavy chain.
I am the sum of all my deeds,
A captive in my own disdain.
Yet hope whispers through the night,
A gentle voice, a soothing hand.
Perhaps one day I’ll see the light,
And learn to love, to understand.