The Strong One

I grew up fast, never had a choice

Blamed for the silence, punished for my voice

War at nineteen, dirt in my soul

Taught me how to lead, never how to let go

Built a life out of nothing, brick and bone

Held it all together, even when I felt alone

Wife, a kid, and a business name

But no one ever asked if I was okay

They say I'm the strong one, the man who won't break

The fixer, the anchor, the one who won't shake

But strength don't mean peace, and grit don't mean grace

And I can't keep holding what's killing my faith

So who holds the strong one when he can't breathe?

Who patches the cracks no one can see?

I'm tired of being the hero in everyone's tale

When I'm bleeding inside and too proud to fail

Told her the truth, yeah I bared my skin

She called me a villain, I called it survival again

I built the business, gave her a role

Now I'm walking a line just to keep it whole

She's still beside me, we're running the game

But the shape of our bond doesn't feel the same

The past and the present live under one roof

And I'm trying to hold it without losing the truth

My son's in the middle, eyes wide, watching

So I bury my needs, keep the house from dropping

Still playing peacemaker, still on the run

But there's no one checking in on the strong one

You see strength, I feel silence

You see calm, I'm surviving

You see order, I see war

Still holding doors I don't walk through anymore

They say I'm the strong one, the man who won't break

The fixer, the anchor, the one who won't shake

But strength don't mean peace, and grit don't mean grace

And I can't keep holding what's killing my faith

So who holds the strong one when he can't breathe?

Who patches the cracks no one can see?

I'm tired of being the hero in everyone's tale

When I'm bleeding inside and too proud to fail

Maybe strength is saying "I'm not okay"

Maybe healing starts when I stop the play