The Shadow Within Me / A Poem About My Stutter

The Shadow Within Me / A Poem About My Stutter >*I decided to write down my thoughts through a poem. Maybe you’ll see yourself in it, just as I do.* I am less than I want to be, my voice quiet, my steps heavy, a cannonball shackles my dreams, though I feel great strength within me, it’s as if I stand in endless mire. I longed to fit in, to find the warmth of friendship, but instead, I was left exposed, vulnerable, uncovered, and every fall hurts more than the last. Haven’t I suffered enough? Every morning, a brick wall rises before me, high and unyielding, and I must break it down again, brick by brick, just to move forward. Yet the next day, it’s back, the same—or taller still. I ask myself—why me? Why does my past cast shadows over my days? The trauma follows me, dragging behind every step I take, like an unwanted companion, a permanent guest in my mind. Frustration—my daily bread, hope? Only shards remain. Is there truly no way out? Will I suffer like this forever? I can’t, I can’t keep suffocating, under the weight that grips me every day. I want to scream, to tell others how I feel, but words get lost, my voice stuck in my throat. I want to be happy—without barriers, without pain, without these chains. I deserve relief. I deserve to live. Will it ever end? Will I ever find peace?