Poem: Hurt & Hollow

Some days, I wear my armor well.

smile through the agony, pretend this isn't killing me.

I tell myself, You're strong.

You've got this.

But other days, it all collapses, and I'm buried under the rubble of reality.

This is my life now. This is forever.

No escape.

No out.

Just this endless cycle of hurt and hollow.

I mourn the me l'll never get to be.

The one who danced through her twenties, ran marathons, chased sunsets, and loved without limits.

Now I measure my days in spoons,

And count the steps to the bathroom like they're miles

And the world keeps spinning, fast and careless, while I'm stuck here, watching it blur,

watching it leave me behind.

-Giusiana