Holding My Ground

As I stepped outside, the world pressed in tight,

a weight heavy, thick, like the air after rain,

a gust of fresh wind gave my soul a fright,

reminding me how gravity sharpens the pain.

Leaves rustle and tremble, as if to complain,

while I stand on this sidewalk, lost in the flow,

feeling the pull of every struggle and strain,

questioning the burden, the highs and the low.

I try to stand firm, to anchor my place,

but even the earth seems to shift and to sway,

as I hold my ground in this fragile space,

wondering how long I can stand here and stay.