The Space Between

We are not seeing things— The burnout is real. From the relentless grind of Work, Life, And no balance; We are not exaggerating the situation— The exhaustion is real. From the harsh oppression of Cruel bosses, Cold politics, And no respite; We are not mistaking the gloom— The disappointment is real. From the blatant bullying of Tough times, Challenging climates, And no help. Yet the wide canyon, Between perception and the truth, Can be a deceptive guide— If we still feel, Then we can't possibly be broken; If we still rebound, Then we can't possibly be brittle; If we are merely bruised, Then why claim that all the world is done and through? The vast space, Between perception and the truth, Can also lift us up— If we can still imagine, Then we are capable of daring for better alternatives; If we can still envision, Then we are capable of charting paths of brighter light. If we can still hope, Then we are capable of unwrapping the best that is yet to come. Zhaohui Su: conceptualization, formal analysis, investigation, writing – original draft, writing – review and editing. The Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (4025002306); Jiangsu Provincial Institute of Health Emergency, Research Centre for Medical and Health Emergency Rescue, Xuzhou Medical University Research Projects (JSWSYJ-20240102). The author declares no conflicts of interest. The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.