What was once a shattered glass

I halt my step, tracing

the scattered fragments on my trail,

remnants of moments I once named

breakdown.

Darkness clouded my memories,

but now I see snippets glowing,

embraced by embers—a phoenix's light.

Their flickers illuminate my path

as I resume my journey

into the pitch-black ahead.

Each glimmer gently reminds me:

good recollections often sour with time,

while days I felt like

a suffocated puppet

become memories of endings,

heralding awakenings.

Jiji Lubis is a journalist, news editor, and columnist based in Jakarta, Indonesia. An occasional hermit with seven cats, she writes poetry as a therapy for her prolonged mental health battle. Her poems have been by *82 Review, Sage Cigarettes Magazine, Messy Misfits Club, and Raven Muse Magazine. Her Instagram is @ink.trospective.