The Other Side of Fear

It stood before me, tall and wide,

A shadow I could not outride.

Its voice was thunder, sharp and cold,

A tale of “can’t” it always told.

It whispered doubts into my ear,

Draped every step in heavy fear.

I trembled at its looming gate,

Convinced that courage came too late.

But somewhere deep, a spark held on—

A quiet pulse before the dawn.

A voice that said, “Just one more try.

You’ve come too far to not know why.”

So on I walked, though knees were weak,

With quaking breath and voice to speak.

Each step I took, the shadow thinned,

The storm grew still, the light came in.

I met my fear and called it friend –

Not something breaking me, but bend.

It shaped the fire in my soul,

It carved me out and made me whole.

For courage isn’t loud or grand,

It’s simply standing, heart in hand.

It’s walking through the doubt and pain –

And knowing you will rise again.