Everything that shines
ain’t always gonna be gold.
Some things glow because they’re polished lies,
because they learned how to catch the light
just right—
enough to blind you
before you get close.
I’ve chased the sparkle.
Mistook attention for love,
noise for meaning,
promise for proof.
Turns out some things shine
only to hide the rust underneath.
Not every bright future is real.
Not every smile is safe.
Some light burns fast
and leaves you colder
than the dark ever did.
I’ve learned the hard way—
gold doesn’t beg to be believed.
It doesn’t flicker.
It doesn’t need an audience.
It holds its weight quietly
and survives the fire.
So now I look twice.
I touch before I trust.
I listen to what stays
after the shine wears off.
Because everything that shines
ain’t always gonna be gold—
and I’m done trading pieces of myself
for things that only look like treasure.
Through the Fog 