Swallowed Sunshine

Extrinsic vs Intrinsic

Photo by todd kent on Unsplash

I consumed happiness
like snake oil.
Waiting for it
to fill my holes—
make me whole.

But emptiness
is what they served.
A grey
that shrouded anything
that resembled happy.

I learned
to pretend.
To laugh small.
To bask
in borrowed light.

In my distress,
I stole the sun
to hold in my pocket.
A locket of warmth
hidden from hands that take.

But stolen sun
dims alone.
It does not radiate
on demand.

I must swallow sunshine
to make it mine.
Build a spine
with my own light
and
be joy.

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© 2026 Autumn Giberson. All rights reserved.