The last thirteen

I
Because silence screamed louder than voices,
and at every corner I found an echo that broke me.

II
Because the mirror was a relentless judge,
seeing nothing in me but my defeats.

III
Because my words always arrived too late,
like lost letters in an empty mailbox.

IV
Because others’ laughter were soft knives,
sliding through the cracks of my soul.

V
Because I asked for help with my eyes
and no one knew how to read them.

VI
Because the world weighed tons
and my hands were still open.

VII
Because my name became a whisper,
worn out between rumors and mockery.

VIII
Because my dreams turned to dust
before I could even touch them.

IX
Because the night was my only friend
and still it left me cold.

X
Because promises broke
like glass inside my heart.

XI
Because I felt I was never enough
not even to stay in my own life.

XII
Because each step was a desert
and there were no more oases left for me.

XIII
Because no one listened to these reasons
until they turned into silence.