loneliness,
cold and empty as
the winter sun
it slithers in
the back of my mind
coiled around every
doubtful thought,
encasing them in a prison of
paranoia.

i wonder who i am in
your mind,
a withering flower,
a wavering voice over
the phone?

i am afraid of how you
see me,
how one day, my fear may
overflow, making me
unredeemable.

oh, how i try so hard
not to wither in your eyes,
not to fall or need
reassurance.

i try to be a fairy,
a maiden, a wonderful
mystery
but the spell has fallen away
leaving only myself,

and i have never felt
more alone.