Tides Of Woes

Tides Within

The clock is a tyrant, ticking loud,

Its hands like shackles, a mocking crowd.

Each second whispers, *You’re too late,*

Each hour cements this heavy weight.

I wake to waves that drag me under,

A storm inside, a ceaseless thunder.

The mirror’s glare, it twists, it lies,

Reflecting a self I can’t recognize.

The voices rise, they scream, they jeer,

They amplify my every fear.

*You’re not enough,* they chant, they cry,

*Why even bother? Just say goodbye.*

I want to run, escape, be free,

But what if the problem is simply me?

A shadow following wherever I go,

Feeding on truths I fear to show.

Yet somewhere faint, a spark persists,

A quiet hope that still exists.

It murmurs softly through the din,

*This darkness is not who you’ve been.*

For though the tide is strong today,

I know it ebbs, it fades away.

The weight I carry, vast and cruel,

Is but a shadow, not a rule.

I breathe, I fight, I hold my ground,

Though drowning feels like all I’ve found.

These chains, though binding, are not the end,

And even broken hearts can mend.

So I will stand, though weak, unsure,

Through this despair, I will endure.

For in this storm, I’ll find my way,

And see the dawn of a kinder day.