Note To Self

You don’t owe the world your unguarded back,

Let the silence mean shelter, not some kind of lack.

For even the stars burn quiet and slow,

Not every light was designed to show.

Don’t call it growth if it cages your will,

Not every stillness is earned by the still.

You’re not meant to flatten what rises inside,

Some truths won’t shrink just to fit where you hide.

Cathrine Hottran 2025