some of us didn’t come here for certainty

we came here for the test

for the nights where numbers blur,
faith thins and all that’s left is the quiet question

do I still believe when nothing answers back?

every cycle takes something from you
an {illusion}

a name you wore too proudly
a future you imagined too early

but it gives something back
if you stay long enough

a steadier pulse,
a calmer eye,

a spine that doesn’t bend to noise

if you’re still here,
you were never meant to quit

cheers to those learning how to stand
even when the ground keeps moving

~ yours, still here