Faint

I wore my heart upon my sleeve,  
Not for the world at large to see,  
Only for those with strength to weave,  
And lift the fabric, finding me.  

I laughed at snickers, taunts, and jeers,  
Far easier to hold within,  
Than let it flow through all my fears,  
Than show the truth beneath the skin.  

Delusions feed, yet starve the soul,  
They lure, then leave us cold and bare,  
And somewhere in that endless toll,  
I lost the real that once was there.  

I searched for you in shadowed space,  
A peak, a glance, a fleeting view,  
Yet all I found was a mirage’s face,  
And still I wondered, was it you?  

You said you’re done, you can’t endure,  
The longing trapped by harsh constraint,  
But still I ask, though never sure,  
Were you truly ever faint?