wise people say
everyday gets brighter
after the solstice

for half the year
they are correct
in their bubbling
false optimisms

it feels as if
sunlight is finite
no matter how close
to the sun we are
that being kept
lost in the dark
is the human experience

the length of a day
or the fear of the night
make no difference
when you haven’t slept
for days on end
suffocating on fumes
as dreams smolder