Sneaking in from the shadows It fills the spaces too small to see The heart feels full, masked by joy Yet, the mind is subtly, subconsciously aware It lurks in the background Still, the joy expands like hot air It lifts the spirit and blinds the soul Then, it begins to surface It remains unnoticed for a time, then ignored for longer It is nothing new, as it has always been there...in the distance Now, as it pushes through the perceived joy It darkens the heart, Choking out pleasure with pain And joy with sadness Smoke filled lungs and watery eyes Yet, nothing has changed. There is no difference between today and yesterday, There will be no difference between today and tomorrow Nothing to do No one to blame Unable to force the heart to feel what it used to Unable to see the good over all else The change weighs heavily on the soul And though it is not what is wanted, It is what must be done, ... As it is time.