They said I never worried them, I always had my way,
A steady hand, a fearless face to guide me through each day.
But what looked like unshakable pride was loneliness inside,
A strength so loud it hid the times I only wished to hide.

I carried weight so perfectly, no one thought to ask,
If I was tired, if I broke, behind the polished mask.
For being “capable” has a cost too heavy to ignore—
You’re everyone’s safe harbor, yet left longing for much more.

So strength became my armor, my survival, my disguise,
But underneath, I craved a hand, a softness in the eyes.