Only When Needed

I mattered most when storms drew near,
When voices called, when hearts held fear.
I gave my strength, I bore their fall,
But when I needed, none at all.

Only when needed, they saw me true,
But when I was broken, they never knew.
My worth was fleeting, a borrowed flame,
And silence answered when I came.

I carried burdens not my own,
I stood for them, yet stood alone.
Their hands were warm when they required,
But cold as stone when I grew tired.


Now I have learned what worth can mean,
Not in their eyes, but in between.
For when I fell, the truth was shown—
I never mattered, not their own.

Only when needed, they saw me true,
But when I was broken, they never knew.
My worth was fleeting, a borrowed flame,
And silence answered when I came.