The Sun Rises Without Your Permission

The front door clicks shut, and before your foot even hits the sidewalk, the mask slides into place. The hollow stare.

The blankness. You are already performing the person who is 'fine' for a world that hasn't asked how you really are.

But the sun is rising anyway. Not because you earned it.

Not because you are ready. It rises because the light does not depend on your performance.

There is a rising sun coming to shine on those living in darkness, to guide your feet into the path of peace. You do not have to carry the weight of the act all day.

The light sees the hollow stare, and it does not turn away. It walks beside you, not asking you to drop the mask immediately, but promising that you do not have to wear it forever.

The morning is not a demand to be someone else. It is an invitation to breathe.