Today, I give myself the privilege to choose better…

𝑻𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚…
𝑰 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒆
𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓.

I used to return to places
that closed their doors on me,
just so I could feel remembered.

I used to plead for a space
in someone else’s lives—to the point
that I made myself an intruder.

I used to dim my light
so others could shine,
even if it meant—
I am losing myself in the dark.

I used to let others’ words
take root in my mind and heart—
the doubt, the fear,
as if they owned my truth.

I used to run back,
again and again, and then again…
thinking—one more and another one more try
would make me enough.

I used to believe…
I was indebted
to the people who broke me.

But no more.
𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲.
𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧…

—
*image: brynden / unsplash