This was a poem I wrote earlier this year, in the middle of struggling with an emotional low. I was confused about so many things, and I felt very overwhelmed that night. It was my way of reaching out to a close friend and silently crying for help. If you, too, are in a place you don't understand, struck down by pain and confusion, please don't give up. There is always someone who will listen, even if that's a stranger like me who's shared a similar experience. Please don't give up.

Stretched tight, yet slack

Crying without tears

Scarred but acting whole

Why is life this way?

Alone in a crowd

Forget how to feel

Riddle with no clue

Why am I this way?

Lost on a familiar road

Small load too heavy to bear

A map that leads to nowhere

Why is it so hard to pray?