First Night Alone

The clock glows twelve sharp

and the walls start folding in,

empty chairs throwing shadows

longer than they should.

The silence breaks in coughs and creaks

like a visitor crawling under the floorboards,

pressing cold fingers at my ribs

where the air forgets to come in.

I tried counting ceiling cracks

but they slipped away, swimming

in the dark where I swear

I heard my own breath betray me.

No footsteps outside, no whispered voices,

just the echo of a heart

trying to convince itself

it’s not the first night at all.