Charlene Rizzico - Lyricist

DEAR INNER CHILD
by: Charlene Rizzico, Lyricist

Dear Inner Child
I see you there
With your trembling hands
A castle of dreams built on shifting sands
Your laughter echoes in forgotten halls
I hear your cries
through the paper-thin walls

Oh, little one
I’ve been so blind
Left you behind
in the depths of my mind
But I’m here now
To make it right
To hold your hand
Through the darkest night

You wore the weight
Of a world too cruel
Fighting battles in a one-sided duel
I see the tears you tried to hide
I’m sorry for the times I wasn’t by your side

Oh little one
I’ve been so blind
Left you behind
In the depths of my mind
But I’m here now
To make it right
To hold your hand through the darkest night

I’ll build a bridge
To where you stand
Undo the harm
With a steady hand
We’ll piece together all that’s torn
From shattered stars a new dawn’s born

Your voice is soft
But it calls so clearly
A melody of pain
That draws me near

Oh little one
I’ve been so blind
Left you behind
In the depths of my mind
But I’m here nowTto make it right
To hold your hand
Through the darkest night
Let’s rewrite the story
Page by page
Free your heart from its fragile cage
The Lord forgave me for the mistakes I've made
And now it's time to forgive myself
For the price you've paid

I still hear the laughter in that old swimming hole.
Bare feet on muddy ground, sunlight on your hair
We swore we'd never change, but time don't fight fair.
That old swimming hole, where the water ran cold,
Still sings our names in the whisper of trees.
Now I walk there alone at that old swimming hole,
Wondering if you will come back to me.
Do you remember, girl? Talk to me.
Skipped stones at dusk, chased fireflies through the dark,
Carved our names in an oak tree, that left a forever mark.
Now the pines just sway, and the ripples don't know,
How two kids in love could let the summer go.
I'm reliving the past, like a film in my mind,
Trapped in the echoes of a love left behind.
Oh yeah, what am I gonna do, girl?
My memories are all over you.
Does your love still burn for me?
I'm reliving the past, like a film in my mind,
Trapped in the echoes of a love left behind.
Oh yeah, what am I gonna do, girl?
My memories are all over you.
Does your love still burn for me?
How your hand brushed mine,
Our first embrace, a lingering kiss,
The start of love to a sweet romance.
I'm asking you, girl,
Do you remember that day? Talk to me.
Seasons change, and the river runs on,
But the echoes remain, though the moment is gone.
I still hear the laughter in that old swimming hole,
Of days gone by from so long ago.
Time moves on, but it don't erase,
The taste of love in a secret place.
Your lips on mine, I feel it still,
The echoes of us, I always will.
I'm reliving the past like a film in my mind,
Trapped in the echoes of a love left behind.
Were we blessed with forever, or cursed to remember?
I'll meet you again, where the cattails sway, and the past remembers.

[Verse 1]
Don’t turn away, don’t close your eyes
Look what has been done to these innocent lives
Their pain isn't masked by any disguise
Every creature longs to run, to feel the earth, to feel the sun
We hold the power, we hold the key—
To end their hurt, to set them free

[Verse 2]
Chains and fences, heavy hands
Stealing life they can’t withstand
But kindness is a louder song
It’s time to right what’s been wrong for so long

[Chorus]
Through the silence, hear their cries
Every fragile life deserves a chance
A gentle hand, a world that believes
No cry too small, no soul unseen—
No more darkness, no more pain
Let kindness break their heavy chain

[Bridge]
In the shadows of the cages
Where the daylight never comes
Silent cries echo faintly, like the beat of broken drums
Eyes that once knew freedom
are now clouded, heavy with pain
Every heartbeat whispers
Will the world remain the same?

[Outro]
The world is better, pure, and true
When we protect the animals, too
Will the world change or remain the same?