Silent Release Poem by Henrietta Ezegbe

They held on for so long,
clinging to shadows of what was,
to echoes of a voice
that no longer sang in tune.

Hands that once gripped tightly
now tremble at the thought
of opening, of surrendering,
of leaving space for the unknown.

There is a strange courage
in letting go quietly,
without declaration or fury,
without proving anything to anyone.

It is a soft, steady strength,
like a river eroding stone
over centuries,
or dawn that rises without ceremony,
illuminating what must be left behind.

And in that release,
there is freedom,
not in what is gained,
but in the weight lifted
from the shoulders of the soul.