Brave Like This

Joshua stands in the bathroom light, eighteen and alone,

Tracing every secret carved beneath his skin and bone.

He whispers to the mirror, hoping it will understand,

Why his voice keeps breaking when he tries to take a stand.

The walls remember every tear he tried to hide,

Every night he prayed for courage, curled up deep inside.

He wanted just to tell them, “This is who I really am,”

But fear became a cage that held him by the hands.

(Pre-Chorus)

And the school halls echoed cruelty, every laugh a sharpened blade,

Every whisper like a warning of the choices he had made.

But even when they tried to crush the fire in his chest,

Joshua kept breathing, even when there was nothing left.

(Chorus)

You break, break, break—

But you shine like shattered diamonds in the rain.

You ache, ache, ache—

But your heartbeat still keeps dancing through the pain.

You were drowning in their noise,

But you’re louder than their hate.

Oh Joshua, you never knew

How brave you were to be you.

(Verse 2)

Love came like a summer storm—warm and then it froze,

Boys who held your hand but hid you when the daylight rose.

You learned to taste rejection in a hundred different ways,

Yet still you kept believing love would find you someday.

Underneath the blankets, you begged the universe for light,

A spark to guide you through the ruins of another lonely night.

You carried every heartbreak like a medal for surviving,

Every wound a quiet promise that you’d someday keep on rising.

(Pre-Chorus)

And though the world made you feel smaller than your name,

You held onto the truth that you were never built for shame.

You’re a symphony of courage in a world that fears the brave,

And every step you’ve taken is a battle that you’ve saved.

(Chorus)

You break, break, break—

But the pieces form a pattern in the rain.

You ache, ache, ache—

But your spirit keeps on burning through the pain.

You were lost behind their lies,

But your truth refused to fade.

Oh Joshua, you never knew

How brave you were to be you.

(Bridge)

Let the world know, let your fear go,

You’re a masterpiece they never could define.

Let the lights glow, let your truth show,

You’re a miracle made of stardust and design.

Every battle, every bruise, every moment you survived—

You’re the proof that broken angels still can rise.

(Final Chorus)

So you break, break, break—

But your crown is made of diamonds from the rain.

You ache, ache, ache—

Yet your heart keeps singing even through the pain.

Joshua, look at you now—standing fierce, standing true,

A warrior the world tried hard to undo…

But you were always brave enough

To be you.