Flickers Of Solace

The first time I felt the rain seep through,
I was a child, barely ten,
Wandering through the dense, dark woods
as nightfall's chill set in.

Lost and young, in a summer haze,
I was a sleepy wanderer at camp,
unaware I'd strayed far from my spot
until I woke, cold and damp.

Barefoot I ran, through tangled brush,
clad only in my night clothes,
branches scraped my face and legs,
As the wind howled and the storm roared.

I slipped on stones and mossy ground,
with no sense of where to flee,
then moonlight showed my isolation,
and I realized how lost I’d come to be

No familiar face or guiding voice,
Just the storm’s roar and lightning’s flash,
I called out for my mother,
Hoping her warmth would clash

With the cold night’s fears,
And for a moment, I wished for her light
To pierce through the darkness,
And chase away the night.

Last night, a dream twisted my breath,
A specter stole my very air,
Crafting troubles far beyond reach,
And claiming I never cared.
"You don’t fit the mold," it taunted,
"Success is but a fleeting guise,
They admire the reflection you cast,
But in private, they disguise."

Yet in the shadows of a lightless room,
I pondered and began to see,
That misery isn't a defining trait,
And there’s more I wish to be.

Just grant me a moment to find my spark,
stay with me, and let it start,
to turn my light back on,
and mend this weary heart.