Boy in the class

Quarter to nine, the school bell rings

Left too early, still feels late

Oversized hoodie, head pulled low

Praying no one sees how small he feels today

He walks inside, the class is quiet

A chair too loud, the moment sticks

Whispered laughs, a look too long

He disappears but still exists

I was that kid in the back of the room

Trying not to be seen

Counting the minutes till the day was done

Wondering who I could be

When I look back now, I’m proud of that boy

I don’t see the fear, I see the fight

What a waste of all those years

Not knowing he’d survive

When I look back now, I’m proud of that boy

That boy inside the class

Thin frame, voice too soft

Always picked last, never loud

Dreams too big for the space he took

Trying to breathe in a crowded crowd

They don’t hear the wars in his head

Or the strength it takes just to stay

Every day he shows up anyway

Even when he wants to run away

I was that kid, breaking quietly

Learning how to stand

Building something out of nothing

With shaking hands

When I look back now, I’m proud of that boy

I don’t see the doubt, I see the fight

What a waste of all those years

Not knowing he’d survive

When I look back now, I’m proud of that boy

That boy inside the class

If I could talk to him now

I’d say, hold on, you’re not alone

Every scar you’re hiding now

Is proof of how far you’ll go

You don’t need to be louder

You don’t need to be tough

Just keep breathing, keep believing

You are already enough

When I look back now, I’m proud of that boy

I don’t see the past, I see the rise

All those days he felt invisible

Were shaping his spine

When I look back now, I’m proud of that boy

That boy inside the class

That boy inside the class