The Dark Ailment

The day came when silence consumed my mind.
My mouth no longer had the strength
to speak the thoughts that haunted me,
keeping sleep far from my grasp.

I left behind the warmth that once made me feel safe
and wandered into unknown paths
where flowers bloom all year round,
where the scent of the sea follows you wherever you go.

Where once, a small child took its first steps,
hoping to find a friend.

But the day came when everything was erased,
and a violent new beginning was forced upon the world.
The child had no friends
and was driven back into the loneliness of solitude.

The sea fell silent.
Its scent no longer carried memories
memories of your mother unwrapping your lunch,
saying:
"Come, eat something, Giorgos.
Don’t go into the water just yet, you’ll sink."

Just as the universe itself sank into darkness.
The flowers vanished.
No one felt safe anymore.

No one sleeps now.
Dreams have turned into waking nightmares,
lurking in every mind
that has chosen to remain silent.

It feels like something is eating you
from the inside out,
slowly,
until it’s too late.

There are no sensations.
No dreams.
And nowhere left to go
except for the few steps
this sickness still allows you to take.