New Soil

 Written: Ally Bernales

I step into new soil,
with cautious roots that coil,
whispering prayers to the breeze,
Let me grow, let me be at ease.

The last place was a jungle,
loud, wild, and full of struggle,
where vines of judgment, cruel and tight,
wrapped around my heart at night.

Here, the air feels light but weak,
like a storm that’s yet to speak,
already, someone turns away,
like a leaf that's lost its sway.

I wonder—am I too much or not enough?
Was it my bloom that made it rough?
Was it the silence in my chest,
that scared them all, or failed the test?

Still, I dig deeper in the dirt,
finding peace within the hurt,
not in the shifting sand, but ground,
where steady roots will be unbound.

I am not here to beg the sun,
nor wait for clouds to come undone.
I’m here to grow, to make my stand,
even if I walk this land unplanned.

I’ll rise, a wildflower true,
defying cracks and skies so blue,
turning loneliness to light,
weaving hope throughout the night.

And when the world looks upon me,
they’ll see a garden wild and free,
where storms cannot erase my roots,
for they are deep and absolute.

Image from: https://shorturl.at/9kQRd