Becoming Part I

I grew up in the quiet, in the shadow of a name,

Trying hard to keep my balance on a floor that never stayed.

Every smile felt like a warning, every whisper held a weight—

And I learned to read the room before I learned to run or play.

Pre‑

But something in me flickered,

A spark I couldn’t hide.

A heartbeat getting quicker,

A truth I kept inside.

I was only a boy, but I felt the shift—

The ground beneath me starting to lift.

The world said “stay small,” but I couldn’t comply—

I saw a horizon they couldn’t deny.

I didn’t know the cost or the man I’d become…

But even back then,

I was starting to run.

I carried every silence like a stone against my chest,

Trying not to wake the thunder, trying hard to do my best.

But the cracks were getting louder, and the walls began to bend—

And the boy inside the mirror knew the story had to end.

Pre‑

That spark became a warning,

A voice I couldn’t drown.

A future pulling toward me,

A life I hadn’t found.

I was only a boy, but I felt the shift—

The ground beneath me starting to lift.

The world said “stay small,” but I couldn’t comply—

I saw a horizon they couldn’t deny.

I didn’t know the cost or the man I’d become…

But even back then,

I was starting to run.

I didn’t know the fire

Waiting down the line.

I only knew the feeling

That the world was mine.

A heartbeat in the darkness,

A promise in the sun—

The first step of a journey

Where the boy becomes someone.

Final

I was only a boy, but I felt the shift—

The ground beneath me starting to lift.

The world said “stay small,” but I couldn’t comply—

I saw a horizon they couldn’t deny.

I didn’t know the cost or the man I’d become…

But even back then,

I was starting to run.