i fear
i’ll clip my wings
silence my dreams
and let time rot my soul.
i fear
i’ll look into the faces
of passers-by
and only see
what could have been.
i fear
i’ll smile in the mirror
nod when they ask
until the wind
forgets my name.
i fear
i’ll leave no traces
not a print in the dust
and i’ll die
as a whisper of longing.
