Absent Shield

Verse 1
You left before I drew my first breath,
Before I could even take shape,
Before I could be anything but a girl
You walked away, and the world turned cold.

Your shadow never reached my side,
But I saw yours stretch over another life,
A child not me, but your hand held hers,
While I learned what it meant to be unheld.

Pre-Chorus
I screamed for you in silence,
Bled for you in secret,
But the one man who should have stood
Was already gone.

Chorus
You left me broken, you left me bare,
I feel every rejection, every void, every scar,
Your absence carved into who I am.
I watched other fathers lift their children,
While I learned to lift myself from the dark.
You were supposed to protect me,
But all you gave was empty air.

Verse 2
Every smile I envied, every arm I saw,
Was a mirror of the love you refused.
I grew with your betrayal in my veins,
A bitter pulse, a hollow ache.

I needed a shield, a hand, a guide,
But you left me fragile in a world too sharp,
And when I looked for you,
All I found were shadows,
All I found was silence.

Chorus
You left me broken, you left me bare,
I feel every rejection, every void, every scar,
Your absence carved into who I am.
I watched other fathers lift their children,
While I learned to lift myself from the dark.
You were supposed to protect me,
But all you gave was empty air.

Bridge
I hate you and I mourn you at the same time,
The man who should have been my anchor
Was a ghost I chased
Through every year, every tear, every lonely night.

Final Chorus
I carry your absence like a crown of thorns,
A weight that shapes the way I breathe,
I longed for love that never came,
I longed for protection that never stayed.
You were supposed to protect me,
But you abandoned me to the storm.

Outro
I am still standing, though broken,
I am still surviving, though scarred,
And I am learning to be my own shield.
You left me broken, you left me bare
You left me broken, you left me bare
But I'm still here...

female, alternative rock/emo