Day of Shadows

Another year fades in silence, Marked by scars, unseen but deep, They drag me to this hollow celebration, Where joy and laughter dare not creep. They push me toward a table bright, With candles lit, like mocking flames, Each flicker burns a buried memory, A life entwined with hidden pain. They sing a song of empty words, A chorus deaf to my despair, To them, this day is painted light, But they don’t see the darkness there. I wear a smile, a fragile mask, While shadows tighten round my soul, They raise their glasses, toast to life, Yet no one sees the price I owe. For in this day, I bleed inside, A quiet scream they’ll never hear, Forced to endure the hollow cheer, Another year drowned out by fear. But what’s a birthday to a ghost, Who wanders halls of memory’s grave? Just one more step toward the void, That drags me closer to the cave. So light the candles, cut the cake, Celebrate what’s left of me, But know this day is made of shadows, A date that I would rather leave