Cameron Brio

Light Through the Cracks

Light Through the Cracks is a deeply personal piece born out of the heaviest spaces of human emotion: guilt, longing, and the complex anatomy of a mistake. Often, art focuses on the anger of being betrayed or the simple sadness of a breakup. With this poem, I wanted to step into the uncomfortable skin of the one who caused the fracture, capturing the loops of regret that play in an empty room.

The title and the closing line are a nod to Leonard Cohen’s famous philosophy that "there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in." The infidelity here is a catastrophic crack, but the "light" isn't a magical fix or a second chance. Instead, the light is the painful, beautiful truth of closure. It is the grace of a partner who was deeply hurt but still chose to hold a secret, offer forgiveness, and let go with love rather than malice. I hope this poem speaks to anyone who has had to learn the hard way that sometimes, letting go is the ultimate form of love

The Diamon and the Pyre

I 've said many words to you but only meant a few

and now our house is sinking beneath me without you

I watched you with all your subtle moves

even half drunk in a party full of fools

In every empty room I step through

I die again smelling a piece of you

you didn't have to say all that much

all I wanted was your warmth and touch

every strand of your hair left on my pillow

tells a secret that you kept in the ocean below

I meant to shut the door and not let him in

but I couldn't resist what was under my skin

your steps echoed before you rang the bell

regret burned my body in a loop of hell

yet you kept all my secrets in your chest

even though you saw me with him half dressed

the world lost its color without you

until you said you'd forgive me if I go

you still wanted me to keep the ring

just to know that we weren't just a thing

I'm not asking you again for a second chance

because I let the light come through the cracks

I've said many words to you 
but only meant a few
and now our house is sinking 
beneath me without you
I watched you with all 
your subtle moves
even half drunk in a party 
full of fools
In every empty room 
I step through
I die again smelling 
a piece of you 
you didn't have to say
all that much
all I wanted was your
warmth and touch
every strand of your hair
left on my pillow
tells a secret that you 
kept in the ocean below
I meant to shut the door 
and not let him in
but I couldn't resist what
was under my skin
your steps echoed before 
you rang the bell
regret burned my body 
in a loop of hell 
yet you kept all my 
secrets in your chest
even though you saw me 
with him half dressed
the world lost its 
color without you
until you said you'd
forgive me if I go
you still wanted me
to keep the ring
just to know that we
weren't just a thing
I'm not asking you again
for a second chance
because I let the light
come through the cracks
By Cameron Brio - May 2026