The Trick to Holding On
Poem by Taylor Swift | December 6, 2017
Let go of the ones who hurt you
Let go of the ones you outgrow
Let go of the words they hurl your way
as you’re walking out the door
The only thing cut and dry
In this hedge-maze life
Is the fact that their words will cut
but your tears will dry
They don’t tell you this when you are young
You can’t hold on to everything
Can’t show up for everyone
You pick your poison
Or your cure
Phone numbers you know by heart
And the ones you don’t answer any more
Hold on to the faint recognition in
the eye of a stranger
As it catches you in its lustrous net
How quickly we become intertwined
How wonderful it is to forget
All the times your intuition failed you
But it hasn’t killed you yet
Hold on to childlike whims and moonlight swims
And your blazing self-respect
And if you drive the roads of this town
Ones you’ve gone down so many times before
Flashback to all the times
Life nearly ran you off the road
But tonight your hand is steady
Suddenly you’ll know
The trick to holding on
Was all that letting go
| Released | December 6, 2017 |
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| About | In lieu of an interview for her cover of British Vogue’s January 2018 issue, Taylor wrote The Trick to Holding On exclusively for the magazine. The poem reflects on themes of reinvention, resilience, and moving on as Taylor shares the lessons she’s learned as she leaves her past behind. |
