Fading Glow in the Dark

The beam flickered, a sick heartbeat

struggling against the dark.

Fingers numb, fumbling

for the stubborn on switch.

Boxes leaned in,

shadows thick and patient,

taking back the corners

one blink at a time.

The light sputtered,

a weak pulse that caught

just enough to show

what I was afraid to see:

dust thick as winter,

old coats holding forgotten weight.

I squeezed tighter, hoping for more,

but the glow gave up—

left me blinking

in the quiet dark,

held hostage by fading sparks

and the cold stillness

that swallows everything.