I turn the dial to start the day,

I want to stand out in the hall.

I thought the more I gave away,

the less I’d have to fear the fall.

But staying bright is hard to do,

it eats the very air I breathe.

I’m tired of shining for the crowd,

while I am burning underneath.

I am more than how I shine,

or how the lumens mark the soul.

This measured worth was never mine,

to burn away was not the goal.

I do not need to blind the eye,

to prove I have the right to be.

Beneath a calm and quiet sky,

a softer light is enough for me.

I am more than how I shine,

or how the lumens mark the soul.

This measured worth was never mine,

to burn away was not the goal.

🎸

I reach the switch and turn it low,

without the fear of going cold.

I find a peace within the slow,

and leave the stories I was told.

I am more than how I shine,

or how the lumens mark the soul.

This measured worth was never mine,

to burn away was not the goal.