When I was little,
I used to be able to see in the dark
I would sit on my sister’s bed with the lights off
and point out all the objects in our room
until I had her convinced that
I was magical

Now, we’ve grown up and
I am no longer a magician
I can’t see in the dark anymore

It has occurred to me that
life is a series of dark tunnels
with light poking through the cracks

When I was younger,
I used to make everyone so proud
Now,
all I do is ***** everything up

I sit here in darkness
as they list off my faults
They name me a failure, a disappointment
a waste and a disgrace
They think of me as a traitor to their beliefs

Every time I prove them right
It’s another shake of their head
another nail in my coffin
another inch the darkness closes in

As I struggle to find my way out of the black
I grasp back towards my younger self
and her night vision
Hoping she can help me see the exit with her gift
Only to realize,
I could never see in the dark to begin with

I had worked so hard to convince everyone
I had this superhuman ability
To see in the dark,
That I had managed to convince myself of my magic too

I’m blind and alone
while the darkness has consumed me
It’s suffocating and frustrating
and I can feel my panic rising

Unsure of what to do,
I remain stuck in this darkness
I cannot flee