When the Shell Breaks

There comes a breath between the dark and the day
A hush so deep the world seems to sway
As if every star is holding its light
For the instant your soul takes flight
The air trembles with a silent cheer
For it knows the change is here

The shell that held you begins to crack
Not in violence, but in giving back
It falls away like autumn leaves
Releasing the life that quietly weaves
Through every choice, through every tear
Through every shadow that brought you here

You step out into a field unclaimed
Your name unchanged, yet not the same
For you are the flame born from the ash
The river that leaps in a sudden splash
The truth that was waiting beneath your skin
Now dancing free in the open wind

The weight of before no longer clings
The voice of doubt no longer sings
Each breath is new, unmarked by the past
Each heartbeat faster, each moment vast
The world unfolds like a sacred scroll
Written in gold by your own soul

And as you stand in the light’s first pour
You understand what the trials were for
Every detour was carving the space
For this exact time, for this exact place
And in that knowing, you spread your wings
Ready for whatever the next dawn brings