The Things I Needed to Say

The Things I Needed to Say

I was innocently inexperienced.

I gave you my love like an offering.

Soft,

Certain,

Unguarded.

You taught me how to be your woman;

I forgot how to be me.

You said I was damaged,

As if that made me worth less.

Coarse,

Unsure,

Distrusting.

So I tried to prove my value

In the ruins you left behind.

Now we meet again,

At a crossroads of sorts.

Can you see me?

Do you envy my journey?

You don’t get to share my story.

It’s strange, isn’t it—now I’m the one undamaged,

And you are the one still wandering.

If you think this note is for you,

And every poem was about you,

You’re wrong.

It’s about me.

About my unbecoming,

My becoming again—the girl who learned

To stop mistaking pain for love

I don’t regret a single step.

Every scar led me here.

Resilient,

Confident,

Hopeful.

I can turn and leave you easily,

Certain of the life I’ve chosen.

These are the things I needed to say.