Listening To Me Then

There’s a voice in the static, buried under skin Echoes from a younger me, asking where I’ve been He was loud in the silence, clear as a bell I turned down the volume just to fit in well He said, “Don’t trade fire for a safer flame” But I learned how to quiet him all the same I should’ve been listening to me then Before the world got in my head Before the doubt, before the bend Before I broke what wouldn’t mend There was a truth I used to know A steady heart, a fearless soul Now I’m digging through the noise again Trying to hear me then He ran wild with a vision, didn’t question why Didn’t measure every dream by the chance to fail or fly He believed in the moment, not the scars ahead Now I second guess the words he said He said, “You’re enough even when you fall” But I built my walls just to feel small I should’ve been listening to me then Before the world got in my head Before the doubt, before the bend Before I broke what wouldn’t mend There was a truth I used to know A steady heart, a fearless soul Now I’m digging through the noise again Trying to hear me then If I could meet him halfway through the years Would he recognize this mess of fears? Or would he laugh and take my hand Say, “You’re still me, just understand” He’s still there in the quiet, underneath it all Not a ghost, not a memory—just a softer call Now I’m finally listening to me then Letting go of where I’ve been Letting truth come rushing in Letting broken start to mend There’s a light I almost lost Buried deep beneath the cost Now I’m cutting through the noise again Yeah, I’m hearing me then No more silence, no pretend I’m becoming me again By listening to me then