No banner hangs above my door,
No crowd awaits me on the floor.
No voice says, “You’ve done something great,”
For choosing not to suffocate.

I eat in silence, dress in grey,
Pretend I care, then face the day.
Each step a weight, each breath a chore
But I get up. And then one more.

My mind’s a maze of heavy stone,
It whispers, "Why not be alone?"
It tells me I am weak, a fraud
I smile and nod, then beat the odds.

There’s no reward for staying sane
When every moment pulses pain.
No finish line, no golden crown
Just not collapsing, not breaking down.

Some days I ache to disappear,
But I’m still standing. Still right here.
I light no fire, I spark no flame,
But I survive. I play the game.

Not out of hope or shining grace
But grit that time cannot erase.
I don’t believe in better yet,
But I’m not done. Not just quite yet.

So mark this down, though no one sees
The quiet ones still on their knees,
Who scream in silence, fight in shame
And live another day the same.