I was the youngest, the only son
Grew up in shadows while my sisters shone
Put my dreams quietly on hold
So they could have theirs to hold
She worked three jobs to keep us fed
But there were nights I wished I wasn’t there instead
She said she loved me, said she was proud
Still some words echo too loud
She was broken, she did her best
But that brokenness lives in my chest
I’ve got my father’s eyes, my mother’s pain
Standing alone in the pouring rain
As a man, I’m told I should be tough
But as her son, I’m never enough
I carry love, I carry scars
Trying to outrun who we are
I’m still learning who I’ve become
More than the shadow of anyone
Thirteen candles, a truth laid bare
She said I almost wasn’t there
Even though she’s glad I stayed
Sometimes I still feel misplaced
Gave up space so they could soar
Felt like the boy behind the door
Played my role, stayed quiet, stayed small
Learned how not to need at all
I cheer for them, I mean it too
But where was someone cheering for me?
I’ve got my father’s eyes, my mother’s pain
Trying to break this family chain
As a man, I’m told don’t cry
But I’ve swallowed tears my whole damn life
I’ve got love, but I’m scarred by the past
These shadows weren’t built to last
I’m not just what they handed down
I can choose who I become
(intimate, reflective)
I’m not the boy left behind
Not just a story of sacrifice
I’m a man with wounds that show
Trying to forgive what I don’t know
(lift, but controlled — not explosive)
I’ve got my father’s eyes, my mother’s pain
But I won’t live inside that rain
I’m still writing, turning the page
Breaking the cycle at this age
I’m more than silence, more than rage
More than what I had to save
(soft)
This inheritance ends with me
