I give my heart, I give my soul,
My fire dims to embered coal.
But still I give and give some more
In hopes of ending love’s cold war.
I reach for hands that never stay,
Then curse myself and fall away.
I laugh too loud, I love too deep—
Then cry in silence when they sleep.
I’ve begged for warmth through steady eyes,
And stitched my truth in quiet lies.
I stand in rooms where I’m not known,
And still pretend I’m not alone.
They praise the strength, ignore the cost,
Applaud the fight, forget the loss.
They take the parts I give for free,
But never see what’s left of me.
I've swallowed words I couldn’t speak,
Held back the flood to not seem weak.
And when the weight became too much,
I broke in places no one touched.
But through the ash and smoke and pain,
Through every storm that left a stain,
I'm still the soul that didn’t run,
Still standing when the day is done.
I won’t let fear reshape my name,
Or shrink beneath the weight of shame.
I know my worth. I feel it true—
And loving hard’s not something few.
If I give deep, if I still care,
If I show up when no one's there—
It means my heart still beats just right.
And I won’t dim to make it light.
©dannyray88
D