© Copyright 2026 - Peter PHIR! Fifty-two trips around the sun A sojourner like my forefathers Raw in my essence Counting the years with grace and gratitude And life has not unfolded easy I’ve lived I’ve loved I’ve lost I’ve rebuilt More than once And I am still rising Is this the era of loving myself deeply Honoring my body, my mind, my soul For everything they carried me through Grateful for the gift of life Anywhere, anytime There’s a glow that comes After surviving yourself After choosing to stay After learning your own name again I’m finally living for mwa Listening to my body and its needs And for the first time This path feels like mine Sunshine in my soul Still I rise whole Sunshine in my soul Still I rise whole Keep my face toward the light Let the shadows fall behind Sunshine in my soul Still I rise whole Some days having moods wings is a b**ch I am either down in the dark Or burning too bright Never in the middle Now worry is climbing in beside it And some nights I think I cannot live like this Some nights I miss you so much I cannot sleep with the thought of you Would it have changed anything If I had told you I was falling for you When people called me beautiful It felt like an insult I was hidden so long I thought I was only a problem Ashamed so often I started calling myself useless And every compliment sounded like a lie Head on the pillow, heart in my throat, no text, no sleep, just blue Soft dress, brave face, deep ache, one-sided words, reaching for you I still don’t know how to answer whispers But thank you, little ghosts New here Help me on the way I am learning not to leave myself This path is the right one Sunshine in my soul Still I rise whole Sunshine in my soul Still I rise whole Won’t you give me some sunshine in my soul Cutting my teeth on solid gold Skipping my stones on waterfalls Sunshine in my soul Still I rise whole I am not a religious woman But I have a very big God in my life And just because I speak about God Doesn’t mean I’m holier than you I am a sinner I struggle And every day God carries me through it I don’t need your money I don’t smoke I’m not a bad person I can cook I just want real conversation A real hug A real hand on my back A real human hello Because people are crying out for healing hugs People are starving for human touch People are longing for the spark That happens when we really hold one another And maybe the greatest healing Is not in pretending we’re fine But in coming back to each other Softly Honestly Simply me Sunshine in my soul Still I rise whole Sunshine in my soul Still I rise whole Here’s to the fools who dream Here’s to the hearts that break Here’s to the mess we make I’d do it again For every woman who hid For every woman called too much For every woman who stayed When she wanted to disappear Sunshine in our souls Still we rise whole Sunshine in our souls Still we rise whole © Copyright 2026 - Peter PHIR!
