I stand in the quiet before the turning, where the first flicker tries to rise. My breath is a gate, and I close it gently— nothing enters without my choosing. Verse II The world may tilt, but I do not. My mind is a lantern with a steady flame. Whatever comes, it slows at my threshold, and I decide what crosses. Verse III No storm begins without my consent. No old pattern wakes without my permission. I am the keeper of the first feeling, and tonight, I keep it still. Refrain I am here. I am steady. I am not starting anything.
