Echoes and Empty Spaces

Echoes and Empty Spaces

I’ve been hurt, so maybe I’ve hurt others.
I’ve been lied to, so maybe I’ve lied too.
I’ve wasted years on people who stopped caring.
I’ve remembered people who forgot me.
I’ve suffered at the hands of those who said they loved me.

I’ve held on when I should have let go.
I’ve given my time, my trust, my heart
to empty spaces and quiet echoes.

So can you blame my silence?
I step back because I need to breathe.
I retreat because the world has shown me
that love can vanish, and words can break.

I am not perfect.
I am not always strong.
I am not always right.
But I am me, still standing,
still trying to make sense of all this.

And even if you don’t understand me,
even if no one does,
I will hold my voice
until I am ready to speak again.