Vanessa Alvarez

Some folks will drive a thousand miles
To fake their grief with practiced smiles.
They'll stand in black and bow their head,
But never checked on you in dread.
...

The mask I wear is always bright,
A painted smile, a borrowed light.
It hides the truth, it veils the pain,
A silent storm, a constant rain.
...

"Thank you" feels too small a phrase,
For all the light you've brought my days.
You took my doubts, my fears away,
And turned my tears to smiles each day.
...

Not cruel, though cruelty nears,
Not hurtful, though you bear tears.
Not silent, though unheard
...

How quick we are to point and see,
The faults in others, endlessly.
Yet blind we stay to our own flaws,
Our hidden sins, our broken cause.
...

Through every corner of my home,
You follow close, I'm not alone.
I sit, I rest, you're by my side,
In every moment, you abide.
...

If you make mistakes along the way,
Or choose a path that leads astray,
And life turns dark, the skies turn gray,
Don't lose your hope—there's still a day.
...

If you falter, if you stray,
If your choices turn the day
Into shadows, heavy skies,
Do not despair—new dawns arise.
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They said we share the same red stream,
That I was born from their living dream.
But blood alone cannot make a home,
Nor mend the ache of being alone.
...

When I first awoke to the world's gaze,
No one saw me—not in loving ways.
No worth was given, no name held dear,
Only silence wrapped around my fear.
...

Christmas comes again once more,
The year turns like it has before.
I whisper prayers for swifter days,
That sorrow's fire may lose its blaze.
...

Once in my life, a dream appeared,
It brushed away sorrow, the colors reared.
The hopes I carried, long concealed,
One sudden day, they were revealed.
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To God above, my soul gives praise,
For guiding me through shadowed days.
For every moment, quiet and bright,
Your love has been my guiding light.
...

They told me stories I learned to believe,
Of bamboo groves and parents who leave.
That I was picked from silence and shade,
Not born of blood, but somehow made.
...

I wonder what they see in me,
That makes them scoff so easily.
Some feel annoyed, some show disdain—
Yet I've done nothing to cause them pain.
...

Endless thanks I lift to the skies,
To God above, so kind and wise.
For your goodness, your love so true,
A blessing each day—because of you.
...

In a world that once felt cold and wide,
You stood beside me, arms open wide.
Not asking where I came from or why,
Just seeing the truth behind my eye.
...

I Know What You Hide

I choose to play stupid, a mask on my face,
but trust me, I'm moving at everyone's pace.
...

I choose to play stupid,
a mask I let fall,
but trust me, I'm watching,
I'm hearing it all.
...

Some people are like birds, so fragile, so small,
You lift them with kindness, you give them your all.
You teach them to fly, you mend every break,
You offer your shelter, your time, your own stake.
...