The Long Way Round

I sought out love in places dim and loud,

Where flattery wore masks and hearts were thin,

Each promise dressed in charm, deceit, and shroud,

A game I played, too eager just to win.

I danced through years on stages built of lies,

Mistook attention for a tender vow,

Ignored the quiet warnings in their eyes,

And gave away what none would cherish now.

The mirror shows a face both wise and worn,

A youth spent chasing ghosts in crowded rooms.

No hand to hold, no rose without its thorn,

Just lessons bloomed from long-forgotten tombs.

Yet still I stand—alone, but not unmade.

Love lost its crown, but I kept mine unswayed.