For Myself

I am more than the weight of the world on my chest,

more than the ache that robs me of rest.

In my heart, there’s a whisper, a quiet refrain,

a song of hope breaking through the pain.

I’ll sing it softly, just for me,

a melody no one else need see.

It’s not for their ears, their judgment, their gaze,

but for the courage to step through my haze.

For in the end, I walk alone,

but that’s where I’ll find my strongest tone.

Not in others, not in their view,

but in the love I give myself anew.