Nikita Gill

The Confrontation

This year has forced me to confront myself,
Everything that felt like a door closing made me realize
How many doors have been open;
I simply haven’t walked through them.

All this ugliness I ignored,
All these wounds I refused to let heal
Because I found the pain more comfortable
Than letting go of what I knew.

This is what loneliness does.
It acts as a mirror for who you are.
And if you do not like it,
It gives you the time to change.

Loneliness says, “Peace is a thing of the imagination,
An invention you must picture to walk toward.”
Loneliness says, “Whatever peace looks like, it is yours.
Yours to find. Yours to keep. Yours to cherish.” 

From Where Hope Comes From (Hachette, 2021).

Invitation for Writing & Reflection: Consider your own views of solitude and loneliness, perhaps recalling a time you were invited to face yourself more fully. You might begin by using her phrase, “This is what loneliness does,” and allowing the writing to unfold from there.

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