I am your worst nightmare

I’m what keeps you up at night.
The flicker in the corner of your eye.
The shift in the air
when you realise
you’re not the strongest one in the room.

I don’t scream.
I don’t shout.
I just endure.
And somehow,
that terrifies you.

You talk like you’d never survive me.
You wouldn’t.

You flinch at the idea
of living through what I live through
without ever knowing
you’re looking right at it.

I’m soft-spoken.
Sharp-edged.
Still standing.
Still here.
And that,
more than anything,
is what haunts you.

Because I’m everything
you’re afraid to become—
and worse—
I make it look easy.