Hugging Shadows

I try to hug this body of mine,
But it feels like holding a stranger.
The weight of years, of silent tears,
Turns love into anger.

I’ve tried to change, to shrink, to mold,
To be something I’m not.
But every time, I’m left behind,
Alone with what I’ve got.

My arms fall down, my heart grows cold,
I don’t know how to care.
For a body I don’t recognize,
For a self I cannot bear.

Still, a voice inside whispers soft,
"Please don’t let me go."
Maybe one day, I’ll learn to stay,
And love the me I know.