Home was supposed to feel like a safe place
But I learned early how to read pain on a face
I stayed quiet, tried to be brave
Holding tears I didn’t know how to say
I was young, I was trying my best
Carrying things too heavy for my chest
Sometimes the past still walks by me
Faces I wish I could leave behind me
It hurts, yeah, I won’t pretend
But I don’t let it be the end
I still see them from time to time
Same streets, different state of mind
They don’t know what it took to heal
Or how hard it is to just feel real
I breathe in deep, remind myself
I made it through, I found my strength
Sometimes the past still walks by me
Brings back nights that tried to break me
But I don’t fall, I don’t fade
‘Cause love gives me a reason to stay
I got my little brother looking up
I gotta show him what it means to be tough
Not with anger, not with fear
But with love that says, “I’m here”
Yeah, I’ve been hurt, yeah, I’ve been low
But I protect the hearts I hold
Even when the tears don’t hide
I stay strong, I stay kind