You gather stars from the night sky,

one by one, 
as if their light could fill the silence in me —
but even galaxies fall short.
Don’t hold my words too tightly.

I gambled on something fragile,

hoped the weight of chance 
might land in love.
I want this to stay.

To linger in the space 
where laughter once came easy.

Now, every breath feels heavier,
 but I face the shadows head-on.
These hands —
they could cradle more than constellations, 
lift the weight of dreams.

But even towers laced in gold

feel hollow
 when you look right through me.
I take it all in the ache, the beauty, the stillness —
and yet,

I remain
 less than what you seek