Battling Shadows Poem by April Humason

My mind, a dark and dirty jail,
Where happiness is locked, impaled,
For sadness veils my pale face,
Shattering the smile, time can't erase.

I fail to see the light's embrace,
Darkness glooms in every place,
In every emotion that I feel,
A stormy tempest, so surreal.

I impale the light of others,
To feed off their joy, like druthers,
Selling a fairytale version of me,
An illusion, a mirage, it cannot be.

For if my truth were to unveil,
You'd see the hell my heart entails,
Burning fires beneath my feet,
While heaven's gate, a distant beat.

But hope remains within my core,
A fingernail length from heaven's door,
I exhale, breathe another day,
To battle this war, come what may.

In shadows, I find my way,
To seek the light, a guiding ray,
Through trials and storms, I'll fight,
To find peace, and my heart alight.

With each breath, a step I take,
To find my soul, my spirit's sake,
Battling the demons, one by one,
To find the light, and be undone.

The journey's long, the road is steep,
But I'll rise from darkness deep,
With courage, strength, and will to soar,
To find the light forevermore.