How strange the rules of energy —
Machines demand, pull, grind
But my world,
My soul,
Gave without friction.

I gave light
Unknowingly
A pure glow I never knew I held
Not for me—
But for those I chose to love.

I never knew
My light would also clear my path
But I burned—
Greedy, aching for return
Hoping to bask in the same warmth
I freely gave.

Instead—
Scorched.
Flames kissed my spirit
Tethered my shine to fear
And I think
I closed the switch.

Not because I want to
But because I must.
The world isn’t ready
For a gem like this.
And yet I grieve
That my path-lighting
Is not met
By fireflies.

Still—
It stings.
Still—
It aches.

I’ve backed out.
I’m maxed out.
And for once,
This light—
Must rest.

It’s hard to mute the sun inside
To unlearn the giving
To silence the shine.
But I’m not giving it away.

I just want to stop.
No—
I need to stop.

Let the dark be dark for a while.
Let me breathe
Without burning.

And to those who lit my way—
were light
Or did their best
in their quiet, quiet glow—
I hold you in my heart like dawn.
May warmth find you,
gentle and true,
May the light you gave
return to you
in a thousand soft flames.