Bearing The Shadows Poem by Cassiel Smith

Within the shadows of a home that feels like a tomb,
In which whispers of ache linger in every room,
I grew up bearing the weight of despair,
A fragile soul misplaced in a world unfair.


Am I supposed to be grateful to have survived this?
The darkness that haunted, the affection I miss,
The walls that bore witness to my silent cries,
The pain that lingered behind tear-stained eyes.


Bruises hidden beneath lengthy sleeves,
A young heart confused, unable to grieve,
Words like daggers, sharp and unkind,
Carving deep wounds into my mind.


The echoes of anger, the weight of fear,
A heavy silence when no one is near,
I learned to hide, to mask my pain,
A fragile child with nothing to gain.


I walked on eggshells, a careful dance,
Avoiding the hurricane in a delicate trance,
A home where shadows wrapped me tight,
Within the darkness of an endless night.


Am I supposed to be grateful to have survived this?
The scars that remain, the love I miss,
A heart forever touched by the shadows of then,
A soul still seeking a place to mend.


The loneliness lingered, a ghostly ache,
A younger soul fighting for a chance to break,
Loose from the chains of a painful past,
Desire that could never last.


The echoes of pain whisper still,
A heavy burden, a longing to heal,
Am I supposed to be grateful to have survived this?
The haunting silence, the peace I omit.


The dark of my past clings like a ghost,
A silent specter that haunts me most,
I dream of a life untouched by fear,
But the shadows remain, always near.


Am I supposed to be grateful to have survived this?
The weight of my past, a heavy abyss,
A child who grew up too quickly in the night,
Forever haunted by the absence of light.