Today the wind didn’t bite as hard—

I noticed.

A chill still nests in my bones,

my mind a hive of restless defeat.

The sky stayed gray,

But something about it—

Felt less cruel.

I’ve lost count of the days

I’ve stood, frozen in place,

mourning each hour’s quiet fall.

Then—

the sun peeked out

through the clouds that

kept me in the dark

For a heartbeat

warmth brushed my cheek;

I’d bottle it, keep it forever

if I could.

My heart remains cold,

yet I hear the first crack

of thaw.

I don’t smile—

not yet.

I’m afraid; hope has slipped

through my fingers before.

Still, I reach

for the last ounce of strength.

If I rise again.

May this battle be the last—

the one where light

finally stays.