I made a promise, not just words in passing,
but something stitched into the softest part of me.
Even now, though the silence stands tall like stone,
I still speak in ways that don’t need sound.
You walled me out, and I don’t blame you.
We all build when we’re hurting.
But I’ve stood quietly at the edge,
not to break through,
but to remind you,
I never walked away.
This care I carry, it\'s not a trick of the moment,
not a flame that flared and died.
It\'s the thing that cracked me open,
showed me how to feel again.
Before you, I only knew happy or quiet.
Now I know the ache of love
that asks for nothing,
but still stays.
I could shut it down, turn myself cold again,
but I won\'t.
Even if it hurts,
I won’t trade the light I found for a numb kind of peace.
So if you ever look back,
know this,
I didn’t stop caring.
I just stepped back
so you could breathe.
And I remained
right here,
heart full,
arms open,
still loving you
in the gentlest way I can.