I’m in that place again
a solitary prison of self-pity
dissolving in a room without windows
punishing the portrait of myself

Why do I repeatedly come here
to a place of unnecessary suffering
blotting out every light source
to the detriment of my soul

I’m like a vacant-eyed visitor
destined for undeniable destruction
welcoming a withering existence
as the world shuffles on

I could choose to chase the sunshine
become a ball of light myself
but what’s the fun in sunbeams
who always disappear into the dark

© 2024 Michelle Cook

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Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/street-lamp-night-solitary-824349/