I find it hard to sleep at night
As the emptiness settles in
How can I trust the silence?
So I let the night shift begin

Another round of the dark hours
Another night where I cannot sleep
Until another day has begun
Only then I can rest in peace

I move about to ease my mind
Like treading in deep waters
For if I lie still in my bed
It's like a prey waiting to be slaughtered

The quietness and the nighttime noises
Makes it easier to breed
Offsprings of fears and faint concerns
Raising more inner demons to feed

My thoughts frantically run in circles
To fulfill the need to escape
Like an untamed pet in denial
It tries anything just to feel safe

I breathe deeply to calm my nerves
But it turns into gasps for air
Like being thrown into a relentless sea
My lungs fight back unprepared

As the sun rays peek into my room
And the birds chirp amidst their wake
Loosening my once tensed limbs
My fighting stance begins to break

My racing thoughts that run
On the nightly adrenaline
Slows down with the relief
That it is finally morning again

I no longer drown in my thoughts
From the high nocturnal waves
Of every repressed emotion
That resides in my internal caves

There was a child born of colour
Which flowed through her veins
And blossomed on her cheeks
Like the spring flowers of May

Colour concentrated on her lips
Her hair flows with a darker shade
A slight stain on her fingertips
And tinted freckles across her face

The way her eyes twinkled
Whenever she was amazed
Carrying her curious vision
She explored God's domain

How the sky changes colour
Like seasoned autumn leaves
The heavens astounded her the most
With all the gifts she had received

For the sky that gave her rainbows
Have given her diamonds in the night
When all has turned so tired and dark
She lies under the moonlit sight

When the sun peeks out in the morning
Or when it mischievously sneaks away
Behind the cluttered clouds, it hides
Before the storm brings forth the rain

Like a game of hide and seek
Mother nature likes to play
The child knowingly played along
Because the sun would come again

She was a child so fascinated
In all of the natural pigments
As if it was nature's way of saying
That her view controlled her limits

The range of hues and gradients
That she had found within the sky
The intensity and the variety
Of Mother nature's complex design

Embraced by the scenery around her
The child who was born undefined
As she brought the world a new hue
She was a beautiful colour unrefined

My love encapsulated
Fragmented into words
How do I send more than my thoughts?
To make it known that you are heard?

You say your worries to me
All through lyrical terms
I will keep singing your melody
To remind you what you deserve

So let us sing your song again
Erasing your pain with every verse
In every silent moment beyond
Please put yourself first

In those quiet instances
I know how it can get worse
How silence can be deadly
When pain becomes your worth

Yet, in those still moments
I am given the most to learn
Of self love and all its intricacies
And why it is the hardest love to earn

High above in the clock tower
Was a child who misbehaved
Father time grew impatient
She was too difficult to persuade

For she was raised with no limits
Adopting such a life unafraid
Strolling into the timekeeper's tower
Assuming there was no price to be paid

The clock's hands restrained her
Every tic was a step she couldn't take
She was bounded by time by the hour
Creating yet another clockwork slave

The clock's hands became her cuffs
Its numbers turned all the same
To be used as the metal bars
For the finishing touches of her cage

Tamed by routines and muted by alarms
Wondering how long she had left to stay
In this fragile world that was so reliant
To act only upon the specific time of day

She missed her colourful beginnings
Free from a life that continued to age
Time stood still while she wandered
To wherever her heart was swayed

Seconds would turn into hours
Of aimless mere child's play
Were moments she took for granted
And memories she had misplaced

One day she took time into her hands
She reversed the roles to his dismay
Father time's parental grip on her
Could no longer be sustained

For she was a timeless artist
Who could not stay restrained
Whose artwork cannot be lost
In the past or the present day

Her poetic words reside in the minds
Passing generations everyday
Painting moments to only those
Who allow their hearts to give way

She became immortal through her legacy
On the path that she had paved
Making home in the artistic thoughts
Of every artist that was led astray

I thought one life out of millions
Was simply irrelevant to most
What significance does one life make?
In this case, only God knows

The sun shines over humanity
Another shadow with every person
With darkness only accumulating
It'd be brighter with one less human

But I realized that the world
Can be so cruel and horrid
That is why hope amongst the dark
Makes the smallest light important

If the world turned into eternal night
And every person became a star
Each person would make the world brighter
Including you just as you are

Everyday I see the train
Inviting locals and foreigners
Smiles exchanged with deep talks
Feelings deepened between passengers

Where does the train go?
Where do the tracks end?
Everyday the train comes
Only to pass by me again

Fed up with my curiosity
I take one step aboard
I want my questions answered
Before I dare ask for more

I take in all the answers
By exploring every corner
As I look for somewhere vacant
I become even more unsure

My eyes locked in to another pair
As if they have found a home
Reconnecting to a piece of me
Deciphering what was unknown

I sit down across from him
He holds a familiar smile
We exchange some playful banter
So I agreed to stay awhile

I found my heart inching closer
I look down before I fall
If falling meant I could be with him
I didn't mind risking it all

Only to realize it was just me
Falling harder along the tracks
I looked at him with possibilities
Getting only half of my feelings back

I didn't know he had a stop in mind
Or maybe I was too blind to see
That loving look I adored in his eyes
Was from thinking of her and not me

His stop was coming up soon
And our time was running out
How do I persuade him to stay
Holding on to what I just found

My hesitation grew with every step
The closer he got to the door
Delaying our goodbyes just a bit
Hoping he had felt something more

The train moved on unlike me
As I stare at the empty space
Wondering of all the what ifs
What if I had asked him to wait?

I feel the train go higher
No longer depending on the tracks
I try to make up for what I saw in him
He was a reflection of what I lacked

My uncertainty about him
Made me certain of something else
Losing him did not lose me
Or take away what I had felt

So I sit on another side of the train
Causing my mind to shift
Wherever this train will take me
I am sure I'll make the most of it

You're only as free
As you allow yourself to be
And I kept holding myself back

I kept building a cage
In every life stage
Imitating what I knew were facts

Because where I belonged
Was in between four walls
To make up for what I lacked

I couldn't handle the outside
My own potential was denied
It was best for me not to overreact

Head held high with a stern gaze
Always keeping a royal face
Every movement was a graceful act

Poised and perfect I shall be
For one day I will be free
Maintain composure before I attack