I wake each day negotiating with myself.
Some parts of me want rest, others demand fire.
I have learned how to stand without applause.
Pain teaches lessons joy never stays long enough to explain.
I speak less now, but mean more when I do.
What I survived still breathes inside my chest.
Strength is not loud, it is consistent.
I choose to continue, even without certainty.
Hope, for me, is an act of discipline.
And staying here is the bravest thing I know.
