The Echo That Learned to Burn

fall,

hard,

and heavy.

Bones rattling,

lungs empty.

Lie there,

listen to the dust settle,

hear the silence that tries to name you defeated.

Breathe,

slow,

deliberate,

as if air itself is daring you to keep going.

Remember,

you have been here before,

in the shadows,

on the floor,

with nothing but the throb of your own will for company.

Stand,

even if your knees quake,

even if the ground still tilts beneath you.

Step,

not fast,

not far,

but forward.

Hope,

hums low at first,

like the smallest ember in the hollow of your chest,

until it roars,

until it drowns out every whisper of fear.

You, are moving again,

and that;

is how bravery always wins.