

Prompt / Lyrics
Verse 1 I learned early how to measure Every word before I’d speak How to fold myself in half Just to keep the peace Kept the room from getting heavy By pretending I was fine Their comfort mattered more than mine So I stayed in line Verse 2 I was told I wasn’t man enough Too sensitive, too weak So I buried what I felt Didn’t say the things I’d need I stayed quiet, but I was useful Didn’t ask for much back I mistook being needed For the love I thought I had Verse 3 I carried that into my loving Into work and into faith Always bending toward the needs of others Staying out of the way I learned how to disappear Without ever leaving town My feet kept moving forward But inside, I felt worn down Chorus I’m still standing Still breathing through the ache Still living in this body They said would always break I’m still standing Still choosing to stay I didn’t come this far Just to fade away Bridge I thought that silence kept me safe That I shouldn’t take up space Now I’m learning how to speak And let my voice have weight I don’t need to harden up To prove that I’m enough I can love without erasing I can stay and still be seen I can hold my ground with kindness That doesn’t make me mean Verse 4 I’m still moving through the questions Still trying to do my best Some days faith feels like a burden Some days I just need rest I don’t have the map or the answers But I’m choosing to believe That the man I’m slowly building Is just enough for me Final Chorus I’m still standing With my name and with my scars With the boy I used to be And the man I’m becoming now I’m still standing Not finished, but I’m here I didn’t come this far Just to disappear Outro I’m still here
Tags
folk, acoustic singer-songwriter, intimate, warm, restrained, fingerpicked guitar, subtle strings, organic, male
4:14
No
1/27/2026