i did not shatter,
i bent into a quieter shape.
the world was loud, so i folded myself
into the smallest room of my chest
and waited.
tonight, my tears are shy.
they press against my eyes like rain
that hasn't decided
whether the ground is safe enough yet.
so i let them stay.
i am learning this strange courage:
to pause without apology,
to rest without calling it defeat,
to breathe without explaining why.
they touched my days,
but they do not own my nights.
even wounded, i am still mine.
even tired, i am still whole.
somewhere in the dark,
a small light practices existing.
it does not argue with the sun.
it waits.
and when the world goes quiet,
it glows.