I’ve seen girls trade their dreams for dinner dates,
watched laughter turn into currency
in the hands of men with heavy wallets
and empty hearts.
I’ve stood in the smoke of things I never wanted to inhale,
tasted rebellion on my tongue,
but never swallowed the whole lie.

We went out five deep,
heels high, lashes higher —
but by the end of the night,
I was riding home with only one or two.
The others left with strangers,
chasing thrill or survival —
I never judged them.
But I couldn’t follow.

I had friends who floated through school
on clouds of **** and promises,
rolled blunts like prayers,
burned out before morning.
I tried to take a puff once —
not to fit in, just to feel
what they felt so free doing.
But it wasn’t my flavor.
Never was.

They called me innocent.
Not because I didn’t know,
but because I knew —
and still chose not to bend.
Because I could touch fire
and walk away without letting it stain me.

I am not naïve.
I have stood at the edge of the world
and watched it spin mad.
But I chose stillness.
Chose softness.
Chose me.

If that makes me too innocent
for how the world works,
so be it.
I’d rather be whole than hardened.
Rather be soft than sorry.
Rather be me
than anything else.

Home is where the heart is, they say,  
But what does it mean, in every way?  
Is it a place where you feel safe and sound,  
Or where you can laugh and play around?  

Is it where you grew up, with memories galore,  
Or where you live now, with those you adore?  
Is it with who you find comfort, peace, and rest,  
Or where you can be yourself, at your best?  

The search for the meaning of home,
Nostalgic and longing for a place unknown,
The question being asked,
Is home a feeling or a location?

Maybe home is where we were born and loved ,
Maybe it's where we grew up in, making friends.
Maybe it's wherever the ones we love are,
Or wherever we end up and call home.

Maybe home is more than just a physical space,  
Maybe it's whom you feel loved, with every embrace.  
Maybe it's whom you find belonging and worth with,  
Or where you can be vulnerable, for all it's worth.  

Whatever home means to you, my friend,  
Hold onto it tightly, until the very end.  
For home is where you can truly be,  
The best version of yourself, wild and free.

You are unique and one of a kind
With a heart that's warm and a mind that's kind
You have strengths that make you shine
And your passions are what make you divine

You are capable of great things
And your dreams can take you under your wings
You have the power to make a change
And your voice can make a difference, no matter how strange

So embrace who you are and what you believe
And let your heart and mind be free
For you are the only one of you
And that's something to be proud of, it's true.