Shadows of Childhood

In the playground's laughter,

I stood on the edge,

A silent observer,

While shadows danced around me.

Words like stones,

Thrown with careless ease,

Each one a bruise,

Invisible yet heavy.

The whispers curled in the air,

Biting, sharp, and cold,

A storm of faces,

Turning away from my light.

I wore my heart like armor,

But it cracked under pressure,

As I learned to hide,

Behind a smile that never reached my eyes.

Days stretched into years,

Each moment a lesson in solitude,

Finding solace in books,

Where heroes fought battles of their own.

Yet in the depths of despair,

A flicker of hope emerged—

The strength to rise,

To reclaim my voice from the shadows.

Now I stand tall,

A tapestry woven with scars and stories,

Embracing the journey,

For every wound has shaped my soul.

In the echoes of childhood pain,

I found resilience blooming—

A reminder that even in darkness,

There is always a path to the light.