Until the Last Light

I carry a world inside my head—
A world of expectations and regrets,
And of course a few dreams,
breathing their last breaths.
Yet I smile
When asked how I am.

Some nights, it’s difficult to sleep
The ceiling seems like a door 
to my haunting past.
And I want to run away.
The urge to escape engulfs me
It usually begins
With some Instagram notifications.

My screen time tells
how I survived the night
I waited for a message
until the last light.

“The XXX amount
credited to your bank account”

You, on the other hand, 
seem to be doing okay.
The posts on your profile 
I see
are really in HD.

I remember—
you posted a story at 3 a.m.
You deleted it
within a few seconds.

How do I know?

I was waiting for
my salary to come.

The next day,
I asked If you were okay
You smiled
as though you were me.

Your smile
Hides the pain 
that haunts you 
every now and then.

I know what you feel
The pain leaks
from the corner of your lips.

How do I know?

Because you are me
And I am you.

I don’t know
how much more we have to carry.

I don’t know
how far we have to go.

But, I promise I’ll walk.
Can you promise that too?

Even in the darkest night,
We walk—

Until the last light.

***

buy my books on amazon - redhya