Echoes of Approval I searched for eyes to make me whole, For words that echoed through my soul, A smile, a nod, a passing cheer, And I would breathe, relieved of fear. But each time silence met my plea, I lost a piece of what was me, When worth depends on outer sound, You lose yourself where none is found. I danced for praise, for fleeting light, And vanished slowly out of sight, My voice grew faint, my truth grew dim, While I performed for her and him. I let their silence shape my frame, And carved their comfort to my name, I bent and shrunk to fit the part, Forgetting how to guard my heart. But somewhere in that hollow space, I felt a fire I could not trace, A voice unclaimed, yet fierce and raw, That whispered what I truly saw. I’m done with shrinking for applause, With chasing worth in every cause, Their fleeting eyes won’t light my way, I build my truth in broader day. The roots I grew beneath their doubt, Are breaking walls from inside out, I need no crown, I need no stage, I hold the pen. I turn the page.   Cathrine Hottran 2025