My soul is made of many layers. Like rings on a tree representing time. Every segment shows evidence of struggles, wins, and failure. Burns, scars, and armor. All part of my very essence. So difficult to heal. *** I know you can see them and I fear it. The more I let you in, the…

Not all battles are fought in miles and yards. The same amount of blood, sweat and tears can be brought forth in so much less. Bitterly fought until the very end. Hounded by specters of all that was lost. Looking for safety that may never happen within a lifetime. Hope the only driving force. ***…

I have always been a fair weather person. Fine with pushing through quick sprints of rain. But the season of winter feels like it could be the death of me. Blankets only insulated what heat I already have. The wind steals what little I already have. Taking it in order to paint the clouds on…

Horrible best friends and polar opposites. Two extremes of the same balance. At one side lies no rest and the other stasis. They get along like a house on fire. Feeding into the worst traits of the other. Never found too far apart from each other. *** It is so difficult to stay in the…

I could never give up now. Not after I made it so far. After all the sacrifice people have made to get me here. Transforming survival into a promise. A blessing I never requested. Full of more than my own hopes. *** I could never give in. Not to the damage I struggle against. After…

I am boiled down. Become more of myself than I ever have. Become more than I should ever have to be. Removed of all except myself. Left to collect in a glass I never chose. Never quite reaching the top. Both good and bad. Hated and loved. The process takes an eternity. A state I…

There are two kinds of people that need help. The veterans and the newbies both equally scramble at times. Looking for the nearest open heart to take shelter. A listening ear and a friendly hand. A guide that might hold what they require most. A place of rest and safety. *** There are those that…

I have no idea what you see in me. I feel as common as the average pebble. Tredded upon or left to sit for eons. Overlooked in interest of more precious items. Not worth much even as a trinket to admire. But I was never that for you. *** You saw me. Approached with conviction.…

Everything can change so suddenly. Bad to good we brush off. Labeled under the nebulous title of “relief”. Good to bad is different. Catastrophic beyond measure. It sticks around. *** The only feeling worse is if you know it is coming. Anticipation a lethal weapon. A chandelier hanging by a loose thread above the head.…

I have friends like everyone else. The good, the bad, and everything in between. All loved and adored. A fragment of life I have made a part of myself. People I can orbit around like a minor moon. A place I frequently visit. *** I am more than a moon. A simplification of my true…