faded gleam, renewed dream | Teen Ink

faded gleam, renewed dream

July 24, 2024
By bryan_milstead BRONZE, Harrisonburg, Virginia
bryan_milstead BRONZE, Harrisonburg, Virginia
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

there was a light within all of us.

it experienced beautiful, idyllic times, 

problems abundantly were kept at bay,

and our rose-colored cheeks were invigorated by sunshine 


there was a light within all of us.

it nourished our spirits through serene summer evenings,

that danced like dandelion seeds on a gentle breeze, 

and encouraged our fiery red hearts in its dreaming 


until a day arrived — no, was it just a day?

was it just a day that our light faded 

being dimmed into a numb nothingness,

suppressed by the breeze which had once sang and now, cursed our names

where cerulean tears washed the rosiness from our faces and dripped into flower vases

with layers of skin, bone, and soul peeled back like wrapping paper from our favorite childhood gifts


or was it weeks, months, and years of pain that caused us to be this way?

stressful workdays, people who betrayed, and malignant hearsay?

a darkness which shoved us into survival mode,

flipped our worlds upside down and inside out,

made our cries for help feel unheard,

eyes heavy, lips shut, bearing the weight of the world on our shoulders

had us wondering how long this would last until we grew older… 

 

my friend, this is not where the story ends

our light can be uncovered, rediscovered, it is like no other 

our light never died, it just needed to be rekindled 

with every trial and tribulation adding a spark 

reaffirming our strengths, accepting our weaknesses

we will no longer self-judge or hold a grudge,

but instead reclaim our self esteems, dreams, and everything in between 


and slowly, but surely, we will heal.

with our light being so bright and intense that we have no choice but to spread it to others,

who suffered just like us

in hopes that they may find their light again 


there is a light within all of us. 

don’t ever, for one second, believe you aren’t worthy of possessing it.


The author's comments:

My poem, "faded gleam, renewed dream" details the mental health struggles that one can face with reminiscing over distant memories and severe rumination (repetitive dwelling on negative feelings). The "light" throughout this poem symbolizes a general sense of uniqueness and positive energy that a person possesses. When we experience tough situations, social pressures, and other unpleasant emotions, this can cause our "light" to feel as if it is fading. However, it is vital to understand that this beautiful light of ours is never permanently gone; it might just need time to heal and be rediscovered. No matter how much our "lights" have been dimmed, it will burn even brighter through all of its hardships. We are ALL deserving of our "lights", as I believe they define our personalities and most importantly, what it means to be human.


I wrote "faded gleam, renewed dream" after experiencing a loss of identity as a result of entering high school. The transition from middle school was, no doubt, an intense period of growth and difficulty within my life. At times, this newer environment with greater social pressures put me in a constant survival mode, unaware that I was suppressing my emotions which slowly chipped away at my self-esteem. Furthermore, I began to adapt ruminative thinking, excessively questioning who I was as a person and the things that define me. I believe that other high schoolers/teenagers can relate to this poem, especially with the analogy of the "light". For me, it took challenging this rumination and reframing these thoughts into positive ones in order to rediscover my identity. I encourage others who have gone through my situation/a similar predicament to challenge and affirm power over their negative thoughts.


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