healing – Ifedolapo Ogunniyi

I Take a Breath

I take a breath
not because life is gentle,
but because it isn’t.

Because my chest is full
of unsaid things,
and my mind keeps running
like it owes time an explanation.

The breath arrives quietly.
No announcement.
No miracle.
Just air reminding my body
it doesn’t have to stay on guard
every second.

For a moment,
the noise steps back.
Not gone
just far enough
for me to hear myself again.

I exhale
and something loosens.
Not the problem.
Not the weight.
Just the grip
of pretending I’m fine.

Maybe that’s what breathing really is
not healing,
not strength,
but honesty in motion.

A soft way of saying:
I’m still here.
I’m still trying.
I can pause
before I break.

And sometimes,
that pause
is enough
to keep going.

(aka Quotefied on Facebook)

Every Tear, Every Scar, I Showed Up

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.