Day 1 of Writing Poems Until Someone Tells Me I Helped Them: Stay Some days I wake with a weight on my chest, Too tired to fight, too drained to rest. The mirror reflects a face I know, But not the person from long ago. The one who cared with an open heart, Who'd see someone lonely and play a part. Who'd pull up a chair, who'd sit and stay, Who'd always try to brighten a day. Now everything feels distant and gray, And I'm just surviving from day to day. The darkness whispers, soft and low, That nothing will change, that hope won't grow. But darkness lies. Because broken isn't the same as gone, And even the darkest nights meet dawn. A shattered heart can heal with time, And scars become proof that we climbed. So if you're hurting, stay awhile. Stay for another sunrise. Stay for the laugh you haven't laughed yet, The friend you haven't met. It's okay to feel broken. Just remember: broken things can still be beautiful. And sometimes the bravest thing you can do is stay.