When No One Comes Poem by David Self

There are nights when the silence grows tall,
Stretching its shadows across every wall,
When every voice you once leaned on is gone,
And you find yourself carrying the weight alone.
No footsteps follow. No hand reaches near.
The world keeps moving, indifferent to fear.
You call out softly, then louder, then still—
Only the echo returns from the hill.
It is there, in the hollow where comfort should be,
That you meet the person you're destined to see.
Not the one built from praise or applause,
But the one who keeps going despite every pause.
The road does not ask if you're ready to climb.
The dawn does not wait for a better time.
And strength is not born in the crowd's warm light;
It is forged in the dark, in the depth of the night.
When nobody understands the battles you hide,
When no one can walk at your side,
Remember: the roots of the tallest tree
Grow unseen beneath the earth silently.
So gather the pieces of hope you can find.
Carry your doubts, but don't leave your will behind.
Take one more step, though the distance seems far.
The darkest skies still remember every star.
And if no one arrives with the answers you seek,
If the world offers nothing when you're tired and weak,
Let your own heartbeat become your guide—
A steady drum rising from deep inside.
For sometimes the lesson the lonely road gives
Is learning how fiercely your own spirit lives.
And one day you'll look back at the pain you've been through
And realize the person who saved you was you