a sad little story

why does the loneliness
seem to come out of nowhere
just to knock the very breath
out of your body

who can withstand 
the crushing weight of it all
crumbling their psyche away
chipping at the stability

where can you go 
when you feel utterly alone
surrounded by people
drowning in a sea of noise

how can one even live
when all they do is survive
make it through each day
two feet and a heartbeat

what is the fate 
of one so lost within
is their destiny nothing more
than a brief shimmer before darkness

will the light of joy ever break through
or are we condemned in the misery
the end result of choices and consequences
a sad little story no one remembers

draft one, January 5, 2022