SHADES OF GREY
He learned early
that silence is safer than truth,
that a man who cracks
is a man who disappoints.
So he stitched himself together
with whatever he could find
anger, humour,
a smile that never reached his eyes.
Most people only ever saw the surface:
the steady hands,
the easy nod,
the “I’m fine.”
But inside,
whole rooms were collapsing
and he swept the dust into corners
hoping no one would notice.
Some nights, he stood in the doorway
of his own life,
wondering how he became a stranger
to the boy he used to be
the one who believed in light,
in second chances,
in mornings, that didn’t hurt.
He isn’t broken,
but he’s tired
tired of holding himself upright
in a world that keeps asking
for the strongest version of him
even on the days
he can barely breathe.
Still, he rises.
Not because he feels brave,
but because something small inside him
refuses to die
a flicker,
a pulse,
a quiet voice whispering
“stay.”
And maybe that’s what courage is:
not the victory,
not the healing,
but the decision
to keep walking
through the shades of grey
when all you want
is a way out.
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