Never forget…
how they made you shrink,
just so someone else could stand taller.
You smiled through it,
because you didn’t want to cause problems.
You stayed quiet,
because you thought maybe it was all in your head.
But it wasn’t.
Never forget…
how they laughed a little louder when you messed up,
just to make someone else feel better.
How they turned their backs when you needed a voice.
You kept hoping they would change,
yet they kept showing you who they really were.
Even when you gave them every reason to believe in you,
they found every excuse to doubt you.
Even when you showed up,
even when you stayed loyal,
still it was never enough for them.
Never forget…
how they made you question your own worth,
not because you weren’t enough,
but because making you feel small made them feel important.
And they needed that more than they needed your friendship.
They told you it was “just jokes,”
but you still cried alone after.
They told you to “get over it,”
yet they never once apologized.
And you…
you sat there swallowing your pain,
wearing a brave face,
pretending like it didn’t hurt,
even though it did.
Never forget…
because if you forget, you’ll let them do it again.
You’ll lower yourself again,
you’ll explain yourself again
to people who were never listening.
You defended them in rooms where they wouldn’t even say your name.
You stood up for them when your knees were shaking.
Still, when it was your turn to be defended,
they sat silent.
They looked away.
So yes, forgive.
But don’t you ever forget.
Don’t you ever forget how they made you feel,
alone, small, invisible,
just to make someone else feel comfortable.
Not so you can stay bitter,
no.
But so you can stay wise.
Remember how it felt,
so next time, you protect your peace early.
So next time, you walk away before the second betrayal.
So next time, you don’t lose yourself just to keep fake people happy.
They made you doubt your voice,
but now you speak louder.
They made you question your place,
but now you create your own space.
And when you rise because you will,
rise higher,
rise stronger,
rise freer,
not to prove anything to them,
but to honor the battles you fought silently when no one was watching.
Never forget…
but never stop moving forward.
Never forget…
but never stop loving yourself harder.
And when you finally get there,
where peace feels natural,
where love feels safe,
smile to yourself.
Because you survived the rooms
you were never meant to stay in.
Never forget.
But move anyway.
Grow anyway.
Win anyway.
Walking Shadow Poetry Kenya (@walkingshadowpoetry) | TikTok
You are still worthy of love by walking shadow poetry
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