Viable yet Nonviable

I walk with footsteps sure and sound, A heartbeat echoes, strong, profound. Eyes that glimmer, skin that glows, A vibrant face the world well knows. But beneath the surface, a silent cry, A barren land where dreams go dry. A shell that stands, though hollow inside, Where shadows of despair reside. My breath is steady, my pulse aligned, Yet deep within, I’m in decline. A flicker, a flame, all dimmed with time, My spirit lost, no will to climb. The world sees life, a hopeful gleam, But my soul swims in a stagnant stream. A flower that blooms in sunlight’s grace, But roots that wither in hidden space. I smile, I speak, I laugh, I play, Yet something vital slips away. A living ghost in the crowd I roam, Viable, yet never home. So here I stand, a paradox worn, Alive in flesh, in spirit torn. A presence felt, but absent all the while, Viable, yet non-viable—lost in denial.