Hiding in your shadow is where I've kept my shame,

an all encompassing dark spin around your never ending drain.

My fortitude is slipping between the cracks of your infamous work,

even when in the sunlight your darkness always tends to lurk.

Somehow your domination has created a quarrel within my mind,

reshaping my self-image with your poison intertwined.

To stand up from your knock down means so much more than to survive the fall,

I'd be letting go of all that I've held onto and beginning to learn to crawl.

I could try to fight when I feel brave enough to swim your mighty current’s rage,

but to experiment with such an endeavor may leave me beneath your forceful waves.

When living in the shadows there is not much growth one can make,

It's hard to push forward when in the darkness because you never have

anything at stake.