i started to see the nuances
of all the love inside myself
within each absence
of what i knew i deserved.

tidal nostalgia floods in
staining the sand beneath
each step i take.

you wish
to be invisible.
you envy
the very ghosts that
haunt you.

dead inside
though still alive,
you’re halfway there
i suppose.

please just know,
these walls i have built
are only to contain
some very strong storm within.

for these clouds are contagious,
this rain is relentless,
and these winds are destructive.

please just know,
these walls i have built,
serve a great purpose-
one i hope you never
have to realize.

glossy eyes
locked in a
downward gaze,
counting each
passing crack
i step over.

a raging war
in my mind,
a battleground
upon sidewalks,
just trying
somehow
to take cover.