Lyrics by Wendy Cipriano

My Past Don't Define Me

Genres: Singer-Songwriter

How can I love this self I see?
When I'm not even enough for me.
They say there's something wrong inside,
But I won't let their words define my worth.

Growing up in a home where anger struck like lightning,
A toxic breath I took, my spirit always fighting.
Disrespect was thrown, a constant, cutting sting,
All in the name of family, of love.

I learned to never let myself truly feel the hurt,
Born in a stone-cold home, where love was a distant blur.
I learned to never let myself truly feel the hurt,
Born in a stone-cold home, where love was a distant blur.
Into a world so cruel and dark, where I learned to bite and bark.

I've got a mouth on me, and I'm not afraid to bite,
If I'm too much, then let them see the light.
I'm more than enough just for me.

They try to tell me who to be, how I should feel.
This world's a chaotic mess, and sanity's a blur.
They're jealous, insecure, they hate who they are.

They're so insecure about who they are,
They try to define me, but I know who I am.
They call me crazy, but I'm enough for me.

You claim I'm too much,
A spirit you can't tame or clutch.
But I won't shrink or doubt my fire,
Nor chase your approval, or silence my voice.

I'll claim the love I'm due, a truth I'll hold,
No longer swayed by stories I've been told.
My space is sacred, a sanctuary they can't breach.

They aim to tear me down, but I won't shatter.
Their judgments won't define what truly matters.
For I am one of a kind, a spirit untamed,
My true heart's fire, I'll let it burn and blaze.

They never saw the best that lived in me,
Always trying to bend who I should be.
My imperfections, they refuse to embrace,
Yet in these flaws, I will embrace all that makes my character.

My past won't dictate the person I become,
Though I will stumble, and sometimes come undone.
For growth demands we learn from every wrong.

We all stumble, we all fall, it's true,
But that doesn't mean our spirit's a lost cause, through and through.
I was born into a world that wasn't meant to understand me.

My past doesn't dictate the person I've become,
It forged the fire within, from which my spirit's spun.
All I truly crave is to be whole and good for me

The black sheep, the child they cast aside,
Every fault, every shadow, laid at my door.
A storm of pain and fury raged inside,
I yearned to earn their pride, but love was never mine,
No comfort found, no peace, no guiding sign.
My sister, who received the love denied to me.

I learned the hard way, I had to earn my own damn peace.
My own kin, the first to break my fragile heart.
No bedtime stories, no comfort whispered in the dark,

But one high school friend, his love a steady flame,
He truly saw me, called me by my name.
No judgment whispered, no hatred ever shown,
He met my darkness, and still chose to stay.

Still battling for the life I claim as mine,
A life they tried to steal, to undermine.
They sought to break me, but my spirit stands, a defiant sign.

From their mistakes, a better self I've grown,
A sacred vow, my children won't be thrown
Into the shadows where their spirits dwell.
My chosen kin, a different love, a sanctuary I built anew.

I wasn't chosen,
Nor given love to help me grow.
My difference defines me, a truth I now embrace and know.
I've known the world to fall apart, but I never lost my spark.

My strength's a fire, my courage burns so bright,
A singular soul, I live in my own light.
A fierce defense, when my spirit's been confronted.

I break the mold you try to set,
My spirit's wild, untamed, and free.
My presence stands a mile high, no doubt,
Underestimate me, and you'll see what I'm made of.

So go ahead and try to replace me,
You'll never find a spirit quite like mine.
I live my truth, no mask I need to wear,
Try to dim my light, it only shines brighter.

Smiling Girl

Genres: Singer-Songwriter

There once was a girl
Who loved way too deep.
She hid her pain behind a smile
And carried poison
Where no one could see it.
She gave and gaveâ€”
Never asked for anything in return.
Not because she didnâ€™t need loveâ€¦
But because she never believed
She deserved it.

She held everyone else together
While she was barely holding on.
She smiled like her world wasnâ€™t falling apart.
But tell meâ€”
When you see a smiling girl,
Do you ever wonder
What it costs her to smile?

She was the middle child.
The black sheep.
Not protected like the youngest.
Not celebrated like the oldest.
Justâ€¦ there.
Forgotten.
She learned early
That being quiet was safer
Than being seen.

Her mother left when she was one.
Her father never wanted her.
She learned what goodbye felt like
Before she ever knew love.
So she apologizedâ€”
For existing.
For taking up space.
For needing anything at all.

She tried to be good enough for someone to stay.
She changed herself.
Broke herself.
Stillâ€¦ everyone left.
And when no one stayedâ€”
Her demons did.

That smiling girl?
The one who brings light into rooms?
She doesnâ€™t believe
Sheâ€™s worth loving.
But hereâ€™s the truthâ€”
She isnâ€™t broken.
She was unprotected.
And that is not her fault.

One day, sheâ€™ll realize
She was always enough.
That loving deeply was never a weakness.
That surviving made her strong.
And maybe todayâ€”
Sheâ€™ll start believing it too.