“She stands alone within the moonlit yard.
Her shadow faintly sprawls across the grass.
The stone memorial and she are scarred.
Grazed by the wind, her eyes resemble glass.
Slowly, the stars so bright begin to fade.
The sun arrives; dewdrops evaporate.
The light reveals the truth she longs to trade
Her throat constricts as she accepts her fate.
To walk away at dawn eases the pain.
The world awakes, reminds her life goes on.
While in the ground her heart shall now remain,
she comes alive to live alone at dawn.
He lies beneath the ground forever cold.
While she remains above him to grow old.
I have thanatophobia, categorized under general anxiety disorder, which is the fear of death. I have horrible anxiety, panic attacks (especially at night), and fear concerning the death of specific loved ones. I wrote this Shakespearean sonnet to convey the heartache that death and/or the fear of death brings and how the external world moves forward despite our internal struggles and barriers.”
--Kristen, Student