Every tear that kissed my cheek in the night,
A silent scream drowned out of sight,
Still, I rose with trembling hands,
Facing storms I didn’t understand.
Every scar etched deep in skin and soul,
Whispers of battles that took their toll
Yet here I stand, not broken but bold,
Bearing stories that never got told.
I showed up—when silence felt like a weight,
When hope was late, and love came too late.
When mirrors cracked and lies looked true,
I showed up, even when I barely knew who.
Through betrayal’s bite and sorrow’s sting,
I danced in ashes and learned to sing.
Faith became my final thread,
When all else failed, and dreams lay dead.
Every bruise, every wound unspoken,
I wore them like armor, never broken.
For in my pain, I found my crown
I never stayed down; I never stayed down.
I showed up—not flawless, not whole,
But with fire smoldering in my soul.
Every tear, every scar, a sacred sign
That healing, too, can be divine.
© Ifedolapo Ogunniyi
Ifedolapo Ogunniyi 