"Stages I've Never Touched"

--- I see the stage before I even close my eyes— the lights, like stars that finally notice me, the music, like a heartbeat I’ve always known. But at home, their words are knives wrapped in prayers, cutting my dream into smaller pieces until it fits inside their idea of “right.” They tell me, “Media is poison. Fame is sin.” But what is it called when you bury someone alive while their song is still breathing? I smile, pretend the glitter on my skin is dust, pretend I don’t hear my own voice singing in the bathroom mirror at midnight. Because here, love is measured in obedience, and I am both a good child and a ghost haunting a stage I’ve never touched. ___ - Udhayy