I\u2019ve been scared for so long,
Afraid of being alone,
So I clung to friendships
That felt more like chains than home.
In the name of company,
I settled for less,
In relationships that broke me,
In bonds that caused stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I thought I needed others,
To fill up my days,
But instead, I lost myself
In a tangled, confusing maze.
I was chasing their laughter,
Drowning in their noise,
Forgetting that silence
Could also bring joys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being alone felt strange,
Like I was missing a part,
But really, it was my own self
I had pushed so far apart.
When quiet moments came,
All my flaws would appear,
The mistakes I had made,
The traumas I feared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I invited myself
Where I wasn\u2019t meant to be,
Forcing connections
That weren\u2019t right for me.
I found myself wondering,
\u201cWhy do they not see
That I\u2019m worth more than this?
That I deserve to be free?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But slowly, I started drifting,
Letting go of the noise,
Stepping back from conversations
That brought no real joys.
I stopped attending events
Where I wasn\u2019t truly needed,
And let go of the calls
Where my heart felt unheeded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I began a journey,
A path just for me,
To spend time in my own thoughts,
To let my soul be free.
I learned that being quiet,
Alone with my mind,
Could be a therapeutic space,
A place where peace I could find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At first, it felt lonely,
Awkward, and strange,
But little by little,
I felt the shift, the change.
I started to appreciate
The beauty of my own space,
Finding comfort in my presence,
In the quiet embrace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I learned to love me more,
To embrace all my flaws,
To recognize my worth,
To celebrate my cause.
I found that self-care isn\u2019t selfish,
But a gift we should give,
A way to show ourselves
That we deserve to live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, I feel more comfortable,
In my skin, in my heart,
No longer forcing connections,
But letting life play its part.
I\u2019ve learned to choose wisely,
To surround myself with light,
With those who truly value
The love I have in sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So here\u2019s to the journey,
To finding my way home,
To embracing my own company,
To being happy alone.
I\u2019m grateful for this growth,
For the lessons I\u2019ve gained,
For the love I found within,
Where true strength has remained.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019ve been scared for so long,Afraid of being alone,So I clung to friendshipsThat felt more like chains than home.In the name of company,I settled for less,In relationships that broke me,In bonds that caused stress. I thought I needed others,To fill up my days,But instead, I lost myselfIn a tangled, confusing maze.I was chasing their laughter,Drowning […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2799,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,25,98,1],"tags":[35,49,34,67,50,61,55,53,22,48],"class_list":["post-2798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-poetry","category-solitude","category-storytime","category-uncategorized","tag-poems","tag-poetess","tag-poetry","tag-preciousowoko","tag-spokenword","tag-spokenwords","tag-stories","tag-story","tag-walkingshadowpoetry","tag-walkingshadowpoetrykenya"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pexels-photo-103127.jpeg?fit=1880%2C979&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2794,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/a-journey-to-myself-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":2798,"position":0},"title":"A Journey to Myself by walking shadow poetry.","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"October 24, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"For so long, I was scared,Afraid of the silence, of being unshared.I thought that company meant I was whole,But the wrong friendships took a toll on my soul. I clung to connections that never felt right,Hoping to find joy, to feel some light.But in the name of togetherness, I lost\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "POETRY"","block_context":{"text":"POETRY","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"person wearing gray hoodie jacket watching lake","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pexels-photo-1172253.jpeg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pexels-photo-1172253.jpeg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pexels-photo-1172253.jpeg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pexels-photo-1172253.jpeg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pexels-photo-1172253.jpeg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2790,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/embracing-me-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":2798,"position":1},"title":"Embracing Me by walking shadow poetry","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"October 24, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"For so long, I lived in fear,Afraid of being alone, drawing nearTo friendships that felt forced,Relationships that were broken and coarse.I thought being with others would fill the void,But deep down, my heart felt destroyed. I chased company like a lost little child,Filling my life with connections so mild.I forced\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "POETRY"","block_context":{"text":"POETRY","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"man sitting on bench","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pexels-photo-1666779.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pexels-photo-1666779.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pexels-photo-1666779.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pexels-photo-1666779.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3485,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/the-hidden-power-of-alone-time\/","url_meta":{"origin":2798,"position":2},"title":"The hidden power of alone time","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"December 10, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I don\u2019t compete against anyone.Not the people beside me,not the ones ahead of me,not the ones watching from a distance. The only person I\u2019m racingis the version of myselfI promised I would become. I compete against my past recordsthe things I said I would achieveand never did,the dreams I postponed,the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "poem"","block_context":{"text":"poem","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poem\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"PRECIOUS OWOKO","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Black-and-White-Square-Wedding-Logo-2.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2745,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/leave-me-alone-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":2798,"position":3},"title":"Leave Me Alone by walking shadow poetry.","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"September 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Please, if you don\u2019t have good intentions for me,Just let me go, just let me be.Don\u2019t string me along, don\u2019t play with my heart,I\u2019m already fragile, already falling apart. I\u2019m tired, so tired, of trying to stay strong,Of pretending I\u2019m fine when everything\u2019s wrong.I don\u2019t have the strength to endure\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "POETRY"","block_context":{"text":"POETRY","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"person standing near lake","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-670720.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-670720.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-670720.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-670720.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-670720.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2595,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/a-love-cut-short-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":2798,"position":4},"title":"A Love Cut Short by walking shadow poetry.","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"September 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"We were just starting out, with dreams so bright,Our wedding was recent, everything felt right,We had just begun a life, so new and so sweet,But fate stepped in, and knocked us off our feet. We laughed and we planned, our future so clear,We were so in love, with nothing to\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"smiling woman embraced by her boyfriend in the rain","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-27081770.jpeg?fit=839%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-27081770.jpeg?fit=839%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-27081770.jpeg?fit=839%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-27081770.jpeg?fit=839%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2533,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/special-human-dad-of-the-year-poem\/","url_meta":{"origin":2798,"position":5},"title":"SPECIAL HUMAN, DAD OF THE YEAR POEM.","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"August 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"From the very start, you\u2019ve been my guide,With you beside me, I\u2019ve never had to hide.Through every twist and every turn,Your love\u2019s a fire that continues to burn. When I was young and full of dreams,You cheered me on, or so it seems.In every step I took, every stumble and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "POETRY"","block_context":{"text":"POETRY","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"father and son hugging","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-photo-4260097.jpeg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-photo-4260097.jpeg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-photo-4260097.jpeg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-photo-4260097.jpeg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2798"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2798\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2800,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2798\/revisions\/2800"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}