the heavy curtain

i am a room
full of people
who love me,
and all i can see

is the space
between their hands
and mine.

how do i tell them
that their hands
only remind me
i am untouchable.

i am terrified
of the night,

but i pull the curtains
against the day.

to heal

i must first admit
that i am the one
keeping myself
in the shadows.

Chhitiz Kiran Shrestha
January 2026