I Stayed Long Enough

I didn’t count the days
I let them add up
Some things prove themselves
Without asking

I stayed through the quiet
That wasn’t rest
Through the parts
No one mentions

I watched the patterns
Lose their names
Turn into habit
Turn into weight

There’s a difference
Between staying
And standing still
I know it now

I stayed long enough
To see it clearly
Long enough
To stop guessing

I stayed long enough
To know the cost
Without needing
Something to break

There’s a moment
After patience
Where it changes
Into choice

I didn’t rush it
I didn’t wait
I just listened
To my voice

Time doesn’t argue
It just shows
What holds
And what goes

I stayed long enough
To see it clearly
Long enough
To stop guessing

I stayed long enough
To know the cost
Without needing
Something to break

Some lessons don’t arrive
They accumulate

I stayed long enough
That’s the truth