The Quiet Crossing

I honor the man I have been—
the one who waited.
The one who stayed.
The one who held space,
softened his voice,
and called it love.

He did not fail.
He carried more than most will ever know.
He made peace where there was tension.
He stayed long after the center gave way.
And still, he hoped.

I release him now.
Not with regret,
but with reverence.
He brought me here.
And now—
I am ready.

I welcome the man I am becoming—
the one who writes in his own voice,
who moves before the path is fully clear.
The one who no longer waits to be chosen,
because he has already chosen himself.

He speaks with clarity.
He loves without shrinking.
He shows up whole.

This time,
I am not an understudy.
Not a safety net.
Not a borrowed shape.

This time,
I am fully here.
Authoring my own story.
Loving with both eyes open.
Walking into the unknown
with my feet on the ground.

This is my quiet crossing—
from who I’ve been
to who I already am.