I never really asked what it was costing you
I just stepped into the calm you always walked me through
You made space when there wasn’t any left to give
Like it was just the way you were built to live
And I got used to the silence when I came around
Like the world got lighter when you were in town
Never thought about the weight behind your name
Or how much of you was holding up the frame
Chorus (your hook)
You were the beam beneath the dock at high tide
Taking every hit and never stepping aside
While the world crashed down, you stayed upright
And I wish I’d carried more of it sometimes
You made it look easy
Like the waves would come and go
Like your shoulders weren’t aching
From the weight they came to know
I loved the way you stood
But I never saw what it cost
Never saw the splinters in the wood
Or all the sleep you lost
Now when I look back
That’s the part that stays with me
Not how strong you were
But how strong you had to be
Verse 2
You never really said when it got too heavy
You just kept on being steady
And I thought that meant you were fine
Like nothing ever crossed that line
But now I see it in the quiet you would keep
The way you’d sit down and forget to breathe
Like even pillars have to bend sometimes
Even strong things wear out over time
And I wonder how many nights you stayed awake
Holding everything together for everyone’s sake
Bridge
I thought the tide just rolled around you
I didn’t know it pulled you under too
I wish I could go back and see it clear
Before I mistook your strength for fear
I’d be a softer shore
I’d be a steadier hand
Not just someone you held up
But someone who finally understands
Final Chorus
You were the beam beneath the dock at high tide
And I see it now with different eyes
Every crack you never let show
Every place you never let go
And I wish I had known before
What I know now in me
It wasn’t how strong you were
It’s how strong you had to be
And I hope you know
I see it now
