Jaw clenched, eyes shut, trapped in this nightmare
that’s very much my reality.
Everything that’s mine is no longer for me,
everything I want is far out of reach.
In my sleep, I dream of my every anxiety,
like ragged, black talons caging my thoughts,
unwilling to set me free.

My horrors are lurking and fueled by fear.
It’s easy to see my hands trembling with worry, my eyes stoic and hardened,
and my thoughts muffled, crumpled, and tossed away.
I live with guilt and fear laced in my every breath,
the pain of my worries stopping me
from growing, knowing, and showing who I am and what I want to be.
It's always been an illusion masked by this reality, and to be anything-
anything at all.

I imagine a dream that lasts, a dream to rip apart this poorly crafted mask.
I imagine a dream without darkness, a dream with healing for my heart’s hardness.
I imagine a place filled with laughter, and I'll build this world for me.
Even though this is just a dream, I'll create my own reality:
Where being me isn’t a shame to be.