Enough to Begin - aeZer

“Enough to Begin” follows someone moving through poverty, rejection and exhaustion while still saving a little strength for tomorrow. The turning point is not a sudden rescue, but learning to ask for help, accept care and try again.

I taped the window when the winter came,
It still shook loose whenever the wind changed.
Work dust settled in the lines of my hands;
I counted coins and made another plan.

Some nights, dinner was the first thing I cut.
I learned to sleep before the hunger woke up.
Kept a clean shirt hanging by the door—
Something worth getting ready for.

Some mornings, hope was hard to find;
I tied my shoes and took my time.
I held the rail and caught my breath,
Then found the strength for one more step.

I’m still on my way, still on my way,
Taking what I can from another day.
When the road runs long and the light runs thin,
I’ve got enough left to begin again.

These hands still shake, these shoes wear through,
There’s a life I want to walk into.
I can take my time, I can learn to bend—
I’ve got enough left to begin again.

I wore that clean shirt halfway across town,
Sat with my name on a list, then got turned down.
Outside, I watched the buses come and go.
I called a friend and let the whole thing show.

He let me talk without a speech to give,
Asked if I’d eaten, asked where I’d been.
I heard my voice say, “Could you meet me here?”
He said, “Of course.” I watched his bus appear.

We split a meal and made a plan;
I felt the warmth come back into my hands.
When morning came, the rent was still unpaid—
But I picked up the phone and tried again.

I’m still on my way, still on my way,
Taking what I can from another day.
When the road runs long and the light runs thin,
I’ve got enough left to begin again.

These hands still shake, these shoes wear through,
There’s a life I want to walk into.
I can take my time, I can learn to bend—
I’ve got enough left to begin again.

The first spare money went to fixing glass.
I stood there waiting for the usual draft.
Rain ran down the other side that night;
I slept till morning for the first time in a while.

There’s still a lot I haven’t figured out.
Some days, that old fear gets loud.
But now, when someone asks me how I’ve been,
I take a breath and let them in.

I’m still on my way, still on my way,
There’s room for tomorrow in the plans I make.
When the road runs long and the light runs thin,
I know where to turn to begin again.

These hands can mend what the years wore through,
And reach for a hand when they need one too.
I can take my time, I can trust a friend—
I’ve got enough left to begin again.

I washed that shirt and hung it out to dry.
Opened the window, let the morning inside.
Before the day could ask what I could do,
I stood there breathing for a minute or two.