Should've Seen You

I spent years tryna earn a seat where I was never wanted

Chasing after voices that was selfish, cold, and haunted

I confused attention with respect, now I see the play

Ignore the ones who love me while I try to make the fake stay

There were people in my corner showing up without a fee

But I kept facing disappointment, hoping loyalty was free

I mistook they silence for indifference, that's on me

I was too distracted tryna fix what never cared to be

The ones who mattered never made me beg for reassurance

They just held space for me, steadied through my turbulence

But I kept running toward a storm like I needed to prove

That I was worthy of a love they never planned to choose

I should've seen you, you were standing right there

While I chased what was untrue

All the time I wasted tryna make the wrong hearts move

If I looked a little closer, I would've held onto you, you

I should've seen you, you were giving me respect

While I fought the breakthrough

To people who were empty long before I came through

Now I'm learning how to love the ones I always outgrew

I was overextending everything, stretching past my limits

Hoping that a broken bond could heal if I was in it

Tryna fix the sinking ship while good people build a bridge

Tryna feed a selfish crowd while real ones starved at the fridge

I called it care but it was habitat with fear

Fear that if I let go, our regret would disappear

But truth is the regret came from holding on too tight

To people who were never in my corner for the fight

Now I'm circling back, giving honor where it's due

Recognizing every moment that I overlooked you

If I saw your quiet loyalty instead of chasing proof

I would've saved a thousand nights of feeling so uncool

But growth don't come gentle, it'll rise with a bruise

And a lesson always hits when you got something to lose

Now I'm steady in my spirit, seeing love without a twist

The ones who matter never needed to be convinced

I should've seen you, you were holding me down