Shells of old battles lie buried under my ribs
Armor hangs heavy from years of surviving
My breath emerges like a truce flag no one noticed
Quiet kneels beside me—unexpected unwavering
It spreads slowly like dawn learning patience
It smooths jagged memory with deliberate tenderness
Old explosions lose volume;echoes dim
My body finally believes peace is possible
Walls inside me crumble not from force—
from permission
This silence knows what violence forgets
It stitches instead of shatters
By the time twilight arrives
I stand unarmed but not unprotected
Quiet has claimed me as its territory
War has no jurisdiction here