Learning to Stand

Learning to Stand

They walk in shadows, silent, small,

Afraid to speak, afraid to fall.

A crowded room, a simple glance,

Becomes a storm, a circumstance.

Their voices falter, hands feel tight,

Hearts like birds in frantic flight.

They nod and smile but never say,

The words they long to speak each day.

They shrink when others push too near,

Swallow pride, suppress the fear.

No battle fought, no stance is made,

Their wants and needs begin to fade.

So they retreat where silence reigns,

A fortress built of walls and chains.

Alone, they breathe but barely live,

Trapped in all the fear they give.

Yet hope still whispers, soft but true,

There are ways to start anew.

Therapy, a guiding hand,

To help them fight, to help them stand.

Breathing deep, they slow the race,

Challenge thoughts they long embraced.

With time and care, they start to see,

The world is not their enemy.

A step, a word, a gentle fight,

Against the dark, into the light.

And though the whispers still remain,

They rise, they speak, they break the chain.