Older Than Hope - Niko Jarell
The nights stretch longer than before
Stars feel distant on my floor
Soft piano hums through quiet air
Carrying weight I cannot bear
I've learned to rise but still I fall
Chasing dreams I can't recall
The years went by, I stayed in place
A quiet line etched on my face
I thought hope would light the way
But some shadows choose to stay
I'm older than my hope it seems
Holding pieces of my dreams
With the love I tried to keep
With the nights I spent awake not sleep
Days move on, I'm still confined
Learning how to free my mind
I'm older than my hope, not broken
Just carrying what I need to trust
A subtle base beneath my ribs
Holds the weight I've always hid
Air is dense like drifting rain
Wrap around the quiet pain
I've learned to breathe, to face the dark
But some nights leave a lasting mark
Every silence feels alive
Every calm reminds I strive
I let go but echoes cling
Time can't take away the sting
I'm older than my hope it seems
Holding pieces of my dreams
With the love I tried to keep
With the nights I spent awake not sleep
Days move on, I'm still confined
Learning how to free my mind
I'm older than my hope, not broken
Just carrying what I need to trust
If hope was meant to guide the way
Why does it fade and slip away
I'm not lost, I've only learned
Some hearts live where they once burned
I'm older than my hope, I stand
Holding time in both my hands
The pain is soft, my heart survives
I'm still here, still alive
Piano fades, I remain
Not ashamed of what sustains
I'm older than my hope and that's okay
It proves I lived along the way
Time didn't give it back
But it let me stay
