Verse 1
I was taught how to vanish politely
How to shrink till I fit in the room
How to carry the weight of a lifetime
And call it “growing up too soon”
I learned that love is a sentence
You serve till you sound rehabilized
So I swallowed my name like a secret
And survived on the lie
Pre c
They said “time heals the damage”
But time just taught me restraint
I didn’t heal
I adapted to pain
Chorus
I am not strong, I am stubborn
There’s a difference they miss
I didn’t rise from the ashes
I just refused to exist like this
If I sound like I’m fearless
It’s only because I’m past fear
You don’t stare into nothing this long
Without learning to live here
Verse
I’ve memorized every exit
Every way I could disappear
I’ve negotiated with endings
That felt dangerously sincere
I’ve worn hope like a costume
That never quite fit my skin
I don’t dream of becoming someone
I dream of staying in
Pre c
I don’t trust peace when it whispers
I trust the ache when it stays
At least pain never promises
Then walks away
Chorus
I am not strong, I am stubborn
There’s a difference they miss
I didn’t rise from the ashes
I just refused to exist like this
If I sound like I’m fearless
It’s only because I’m past fear
You don’t stare into nothing this long
Without learning to live here
Bridge
If I stop moving, I sink
If I soften, I split
There’s a part of me tired of breathing
And a part that won’t quit
I don’t call this survival
I call it a debt I pay
Every morning I wake up
And choose to stay
Final Chorus
I am not strong, I am stubborn
I am not healed, I endure
I don’t believe I was meant for this world
But I’m still here, still sure
If I disappear one day
Know I didn’t lose the fight
I just carried the weight of being alive
For an unforgiving amount of nights
Outro
I didn’t win
I didn’t fall
I just stayed
That’s all