Storms Before Dawn

Oh, the roads we travel, under weight we bear,

A little town, a stormy night, struggling our share.

Back in Ottawa, Kansas, the weight of the past,

Four free nights at a hotel, but I knew they wouldn’t last.

Birthday candles flickering, but I was chasing dreams,

Doordashing for survival, pulling at the seams.

Chasing cigarettes and coffee, drugs in the back,

Four bald tires spinning, felt like I was off track.

Every honk and every mile, a reminder of the strife,

Trying to please a shadow that never felt like life.

Yelled at for my failings, a ticket for my plight,

Each wrong turn and stray dollar, further from the light.

But the storm broke the silence, set the shadows free,

February brought change, a chance for me to breathe.

I didn’t know then, but now it’s crystal clear,

Sometimes you must lose to find what you hold dear.

Bed sores on your heart, bruises on your soul,

Tried to be the answer, but I lost all control.

Behind my back you're lying, painting stories so untrue,

Said I wouldn’t lay next to you, oh, what’s a heart to do?

Hustling through the days, with no tags on the ride,

Searching for the silver lining in a life of patient pride.

But love was twisted shadows, wrapped in bitter chains,

And I was just a stranger, drowning in the pain.

I took my heart and placed it on a bed of broken glass,

Each cut and edge reminding me this storm wouldn’t last.

But the storm broke the silence, set the shadows free,

February brought change, a chance for me to breathe.

I didn’t know then, but now it’s crystal clear,

Sometimes you must lose to find what you hold dear.

The night was long and heavy, but dawn began to rise,

In the wreckage of our story, I saw a brand new sky.

Could’ve let it drown me, could’ve been your ghost,

But freedom called my name, whispered, “Let her go.”

Now the storm broke the silence, set the shadows free,

February brought change, and now it’s just me.

I didn’t know then, but I’m finally aware,

Sometimes you must lose to find what’s truly fair.

Oh, Ottawa, dark days behind,

Tides are shifting, I leave those chains behind.

And though the struggle was deep and love filled with strife,

It led me to the moment I could finally choose my life.