The First Time I Felt Joy After Depression (Expanded)

Light peeked, subtle, through heavy drapes long drawn,
A laugh bubbled, surprising, from depths unknown,
Spring’s breath on my cheek, soft and light,
Hope whispered, delicate, in the night,
A moment so small, yet fiercely my own,
Joy’s gentle touch, a seed newly sown.

I’d forgotten what it felt like to smile
Without the weight of something underneath.
That first crack of warmth after the long freeze —
It didn’t fix anything, not really.
But it reminded me that I could still feel
Something other than the grey.