GLASS CRADLE

Four walls and the silence screaming
I learned early what it means to stay quiet
A glass cradle, I slept cracking
Every crack was a secret

No one asked if it hurt
No one came back to check
I grew up counting the days
Like someone learning to drown

I was a child in ruins
No one swept the floor
I carry the tiny stones
That became my foundation and my prison

I don't remember laps, only doors
I don't remember songs, only screams
I learned to pray for the dead hours
I learned to live inside an edict

No one asked if it hurt
No one came back to check
I grew up counting the days
Like someone learning to drown

I was a child in ruins
No one swept the floor
I carry the tiny stones
That became my foundation and my prison

I didn't choose this beginning
But I choose what I do with the rest
I'm not just the crack
I'm also the one who still rises from this gesture

I was a child in ruins
But I learned to rebuild
I carry the tiny stones
And from each one, I learn to smile

Glass cradle, heart of clay
Still, I remain here