On some nightswhen I can’t sleep,
I sit up just to listen
To the silence of 2 AM
where air feels like
a thin sheet so fragile,
to the point I hold my breath out offear
Of breaking
And shattering this peace.
I am not a stranger to these thoughts
A tensionturns daily
Like a broken clockwhere even
when the day ends
Something is still off, stuck at
A wrong time, refusing to move forward.
I envy thoselike you, who sleep
Without a worry.
I truly wonder what it’s like
To be you, to shine like you know best
And
to captivateso easily it still aches
To catch a glimpse.
Would I breathe easier
If I were you?
Would you notice
If I borrowed your reflection for just one day?
Isn’t it funny
How heinous envy tastes,
Disguised as a guileless admiration.
Maybe,If I wake up,
tomorrow
Stitched to my own peeling flesh,
I can swallow it and
finally
face you again.
Annie Liang is a high school student who lives and writes in San Jose, California. She has recently fallen in love with poetry, drawn to its ability to be expressive and explore many different themes. When she’s not writing, she spends her time painting, reading, and exploring the intersections of neuroscience and human experience. She hopes to continue shaping her voice through crafting more works that linger and resonate.