Silent Wishes on Cake

Candles flicker in a dim-lit haze,

what was supposed to be joy wraps in a maze,

everyone sings, but the words feel like chains,

and I wear my smile, but it’s full of pains.

A video plays back, eyes turned from the lens,

my heart clenched tight, no one sees where it bends,

a birthday cake sits, half-eaten, forlorn,

reminding me gently of hopes that feel worn.

The cake holds the wishes that never took flight,

a flicker of promise dimmed by the night,

with every year passing, I search for the light,

yet each birthday whispers, just take it in fright.