Keyanah Holt

“Painful Eye”… Strong Soul

My eyes have always carried the truth,
even when my lips curved into practiced smiles.
They are tired eyes, heavy eyes,
eyes that have watched little boys grow into men,
while I stitched strength into their childhood
with nothing but my bare hands and weary prayers.

My eyes have carried the weight of bills and balance sheets,
of late nights stretching into early mornings,
because the breadwinner never gets to rest.
They have burned red from long hours,
but still searched for joy in the smallest of moments.

These same eyes have witnessed betrayal—
the kind that does not shout,
but slices quiet and deep.
They learned what it means to be second,
to settle for scraps of love,
to accept “almost enough” as if it were abundance.

And oh, how they have watched my own dreams
fold themselves neatly and hide in the corners,
waiting for a time that never seemed to come.
Eyes that looked away from mirrors,
because chasing everyone else’s future
left no room for my own.

So yes, my eyes are sad.
They do not lie.
They remember the nights I swallowed tears,
the mornings I stitched myself back together,
the days I walked with strength
I wasn’t sure I had.

But still—
there is something unbroken in them.
A flicker. A glow. A stubborn light.
Because even under all that weight,
my eyes refuse to close.
They are waiting, watching,
for the day they can shine
not with sorrow,
but with the joy I was always worthy of.

See this piece at Flicks & Sip - coming soon 🤍

#keythingz🗝️ #artist #art