they watch, they wait, they hunger for the day
i falter, fracture, turn and stray
their eyes are hawks, their hopes are snares
set quietly in whispered prayers

yet i move on through wind and rain
with steady breath and tempered pain
each step i take, a muted drum
a promise kept: i will not come undone

their murmurs strike, then fall away
like brittle glass along my way
for silence taught my heart to stand
and patience carved me into land

i rise, i build with scarred resolve
no need to shout, no need to prove
my will is deep, my roots extend
where waiting eyes can never bend

so let them linger, let them ache
for cracks they swear i’ll someday make
i breathe the wide, unguarded sky
they watch, and watch… and i walk by.