Twilight

At twilight I lie awake, restless,

Trembling between shadows that press,

The fear I know is familiar and sharp,

Like a dagger etched into my heart.

Beyond me lies a vast unknown,

A hollow night I face alone.

No promise whispers, no guiding light,

Just endless depths of silent night.

It seems far easier to remain,

Bound to yesterday’s cold chains,

Than step into the darkness deep,

Where dreams dissolve and secrets sleep.

At twilight, I see of a flicker of light,

Fragile and faint, yet burning bright—

I imagine a life that rises beyond these ceilings low,

A joy that I can fully know.

I see myself leave this crumbling shell,

Walls built with pain, like an evil spell.

No air to breathe, no wind to bear,

Only silence thick with deep despair.

I find myself escaping from these dusty streets,

A forgotten place where sorrow reeks.

Where hopes and dreams begin to fade,

And eviction warnings cuts the heart like blades.

I dream of nights beyond my hunger and grind,

The walls of despair no longer confine,

And peace surrounds my soul and my mind.

Where hope and purpose have realigned,

There my future is free for me to mold,

And I rise from the ashes fearless and bold.

At twilight, I stand divided,

Between the comfort of my silent prison,

And the uncertain hope of a life reborn,

Waiting just beyond the shadows.

Fear clings like smoke around my lungs;

My heart beats like a thousand drums,

A reminder of my inner turmoil.

Still, I pray—with shivering hands,

And knees bruised from the weight of tremor.

I carry a past that sticks to me,

Like wet clothes, heavy with memory.

Yet beyond the wreckage of who I’ve been,

I sense a dawn approaching—

Not loud,

Not sudden,

But tender as mercy,

Unfolding like a promise.

And in that soft and gentle light,

I finally find my rest at night.