i am broken
there is a darkness within me that creeps across the underside of my eyelids with each blink

a gnawing fog that doesn't let me sleep

a rising flood that refuses to weep

a burning brand in your chest
A yearning to be free from the weight, even if just for a moment. Even if those moments are stolen in the darkness, shame-filled secrets that scorch your hands and your spirit.

Scars that clearly show a battle has been fought, but no one can be sure it has been won.

A tightening grip around your throat that you wish would just finish the job and put you out of your misery

A plea like Giles Corey for "more weight"

/this wicked unrest threatens to tear your soul in two

...but silently, lest anyone should hear./