In the cave I cower

Against walls and floor as stoney

As my heart

I gain comfort

In the chill seeping into me

In the aches

In the emptiness

But

Even with its vastness

I feel suffocated

Claustrophobic

In its crushing space

The entrance

Invited me

Teased me

Safety, it promised

Warmth, it said

Comfort, it lied

So now, in the cave I cower

The entrance now an exit

One I can't approach

For the teases are taunts

The invites are insidious

The promises perished

A mountain of self doubt

Erupted like a volcano

Stands between us

In the cave of my self image

I cower

Our inner self, where we take shelter from the world outside and all it throws at us, can be a cold, inhospitable place. Hard and unyielding, and decorated with the dark colour of how we see ourselves.

Beyond the darkness, there is light. Beyond the pain, there is hope. If we can only stand at the entrance and step out. Beyond.