After The Dawn

The first light creeps in like a thief through the blinds
Stealing the darkness where I left you behind
The night was a shelter, a place I could hide
But dawn brings the truth that the shadows can't bide
I lie in the quiet, the sheets still hold your shape
A outline in cotton that time can't escape
The birds start their calling, indifferent and clear
A soundtrack to mornings I no longer share
After the dawn
Soft lies in the light that exposes the room
Hard goodbyes in the silence that follows too soon
After the dawn
Everything looks different in the day
The warmth from the night slowly slips away

The coffee brews bitter, the cup feels too wide
I drink it in silence, no one by my side
The mirror reflects what the darkness concealed
A man who's still healing from wounds that won't heal
I open the window, let the morning come in
The air smells of starting, of trying again
But the starting feels heavy, the trying feels fake
A routine that's empty for both our sake
After the dawn
Soft lies in the light that exposes the room
Hard goodbyes in the silence that follows too soon
After the dawn
Everything looks different in the day
The warmth from the night slowly slips away

The day will demand me, pull me into its flow
Work, words, and people who don't need to know
I'll smile when required, speak when I must
Carrying the weight of a heart turned to dust
But when the Sun sets and the darkness returns
The cycle begins where the memory burns
Tomorrow's dawn waiting to strip it away
Leaving me ready for another day