The Place My Shadow Stayed

Morning light falls gently on the floor,

And I see a shadow I’ve ignored before.

It’s always walked with me, quiet by my side,

The part of me I didn’t want to recognize.

In every lonely fear, in every restless breath,

I thought that shadow came from something I had left.

But when I turned around, it softly spoke my name,

And suddenly the broken pieces felt the same.

The place my shadow stayed—

That’s where I found the heart I tried to turn away.

Even in the dark, a warmer light remained.

The place my shadow stayed—

Every part of me I thought had gone astray

Was only waiting for my quiet “You’re okay.”

I used to walk ahead pretending I was whole,

Thinking sunlight alone could comfort my soul.

But every hidden ache, each tear I held inside,

Was teaching me to grow instead of run and hide.

So I let the quiet night untangle what I feared,

And found a softer truth in everything I hid.

The parts I pushed away were reaching out to stay,

Telling me in gentle tones, “You’re fine this way.”

The place my shadow stayed—

That’s where I found the heart I tried to turn away.

Even in the dark, a warmer light remained.

The place my shadow stayed—

Every part of me I thought had gone astray

Was only waiting for my quiet “You’re okay.”

If I hold the light too tight, it slips away,

But holding all my darkness lets it softly stay.

There’s beauty in the shadows when I face them whole,

A quiet truth the daylight never told.

The place my shadow stayed—

I see the fears I had becoming brighter days.

Everything I lost was never far away.

The place my shadow stayed—

And now I rise again with every part of me,

Knowing all along, I was enough this way.