i am not flawless—i confess it plain,
a map of missteps, loss, and gain
my voice has cracked, my hands let slip
soft promises from trembling grip.
i’ve faltered—friend, and kin, and flame
worn many masks, misplaced my name
yet through the ruin, through the shove
i rise unbroken, still enough
my hair undone by restless air,
no careful hand to smooth or care
my skin, a script where time has traced
the quiet wars i’ve always faced
some turn away, some choose to stay,
some only love in fleeting sway
but i—i keep a stubborn light
that will not dim to please their sight
i hunger, ache, i laugh too wide,
let oceans echo deep inside
no polished act, no practiced guise
just truth that flickers, breathes, and cries
i love like fire, untamed, intense,
no measured heart, no soft pretense
i am the thunder, fierce and free,
a storm that dares the world to see.