Dark Circles

Dark crescent moons
hang low beneath my gaze,
swallowed sighs and black coffee
feed dreamless shadows,
while the clock's ticking hand
counts heartbeats.

Ink stains spilled
from the pen of sleepless nights,
violet smudges pressed deep
into the parchment of my skin.

Medals earned
in the trenches of 3 am
fighting off ghosts
that haunt my dreams,
proof that I’ve danced
with the dark,
and lived to see the light
of another day.