This Foolish Life I’ve Lived

This foolish life I’ve lived

was loud with mistakes,

heavy with lessons I didn’t want to learn

until they bruised me into listening.

I ran toward things that burned,

called it passion,

called it freedom,

anything but fear.

I loved too hard,

stayed too long,

believed in people

the way you believe in miracles—

recklessly,

with my eyes closed.

I’ve mistaken survival for strength,

chaos for meaning,

pain for proof

that I was alive.

But even in all that foolishness,

I was searching—

for quiet,

for truth,

for a reason to soften my grip

on everything that hurt me.

Maybe this life wasn’t foolish at all.

Maybe it was just honest.

And maybe every wrong turn

was teaching me

how to finally choose

something gentle.