The Weight Beneath the Smile

I came from the hush of a smaller place,
Where dreams grew wild in a humble space.
Eyes full of stars, heart fierce with flame,
I chased a world that never knew my name.

The city lights — so loud, so wide —
Promised a path, I stepped with pride.
I gave my all, I gave my soul,
Each time I climbed, I missed the goal.

I tried again, with shaking hands,
Built castles tall on shifting sands.
And every time I thought I’d rise,
The world collapsed before my eyes.

Still, dreams don’t die — they sleep, they wait,
They carry the weight of love and hate.
I walk each day with silent screams,
A smiling face, a chest of dreams.

Some nights I break, I lose the fight,
The dark feels longer than the light.
Yet from the dust, I start anew,
Wearing hope like morning dew.

I laugh out loud, the world can’t see
The war that rages deep in me.
I fall, I cry, I wear my scars,
And wish upon the quiet stars.

So here I stand — both lost and found —
A quiet storm without a sound.
One more try, one more breath,
One more rise from near-death.

Maybe dreams are slow to bloom,
Born in silence, fed by gloom.
But still I chase, though cracked and torn,
For broken wings can still be worn.