I used to dread the holidays,
The thought of going back home.
Not because I didn\u2019t love them,
But I felt like I\u2019d face it alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The questions always came too fast,
\u201cWhen will you settle down?\u201d
\u201cYour younger cousin\u2019s doing so well,
But you\u2019re still stuck in town.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019d see the way they\u2019d look at me,
Like I hadn\u2019t done enough.
While others wore their pride like crowns,
I sat there, feeling rough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The chores, they\u2019d pile up on my lap,
While others laughed and ate.
I felt more like a helping hand
Than family to celebrate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the whispers, oh, they stung the most,
\u201cShe\u2019s still the same, hasn\u2019t grown.\u201d
I\u2019d smile, but deep inside I wished
I could just stay on my own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But one year, I decided, no
This won\u2019t steal my joy again.
I packed my bags, not just with clothes,
But with courage to face the pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the questions came, I smiled and said,
\u201cI\u2019m taking life at my own pace.\u201d
When the comparisons started to flow,
I spoke up, with gentle grace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m proud of what they\u2019ve achieved,\u201d I\u2019d say,
\u201cAnd I know my time will come too.\u201d
To my surprise, their tone softened,
And they nodded, as if they knew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I found the courage to draw some lines,
To rest, to laugh, to just be me.
I offered kindness where I could,
And I saw love grow quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not every moment was perfect, no,
But I found the strength to stay.
I chose to focus on the good,
And the pain began to fade away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, going home feels different,
Because I\u2019ve learned to let things go.
I can\u2019t change everyone in my family,
But I\u2019ve changed how I let it show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re scared of going home this year,
I get it, I\u2019ve been there too.
But sometimes healing starts with you,
And love can break what\u2019s cruel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carry hope in your heart this season,
Be kind to yourself and take it slow.
Family can hurt, but it can also heal
Give it time, and let love grow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I used to dread the holidays,The thought of going back home.Not because I didn\u2019t love them,But I felt like I\u2019d face it alone. The questions always came too fast,\u201cWhen will you settle down?\u201d\u201cYour younger cousin\u2019s doing so well,But you\u2019re still stuck in town.\u201d I\u2019d see the way they\u2019d look at me,Like I hadn\u2019t done enough.While […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2869,"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":[121,97,25,1],"tags":[35,49,67,50,55,53,22,48],"class_list":["post-2867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-poem","category-poetry","category-solitude","category-uncategorized","tag-poems","tag-poetess","tag-preciousowoko","tag-spokenword","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\/12\/pexels-photo-1743165.jpeg?fit=981%2C1300&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3244,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/before-we-call-it-love\/","url_meta":{"origin":2867,"position":0},"title":"Before We Call It Love","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"April 25, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\u2013 a spoken word about the talking stage We were not dating...Yet I\u2019d still get butterflies when your name lit up my screen.We weren\u2019t official...Yet I\u2019d overthink the space between your message and mine.No, we hadn\u2019t labeled it...Still, you felt like home a person I could tell everything to without\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "poem"","block_context":{"text":"poem","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poem\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9946-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9946-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9946-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9946-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9946-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2790,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/embracing-me-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":2867,"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":2683,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/ive-been-there-too-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":2867,"position":2},"title":"I\u2019ve Been There, Too by walking shadow poetry.","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"September 18, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019ve been where you are,Felt like the world was falling apart,Lost my parent, felt the ache,Like a piece of me was torn away,No words could fill that space,Just emptiness, day after day. Then I made a mistake,One I still wish I could undo,I cheated on the one I loved,Just days\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "POETRY"","block_context":{"text":"POETRY","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"person sitting outdoors","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-3368246.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-3368246.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-3368246.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-3368246.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-3368246.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2794,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/a-journey-to-myself-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":2867,"position":3},"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":2813,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/discovering-my-hidden-strength-poem-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":2867,"position":4},"title":"Discovering My Hidden Strength Poem by walking shadow poetry.","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"November 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"There were times I thought life was too muchTimes when everything felt heavy, like I was breaking inside.I faced storms I wasn\u2019t ready for,And mountains I never thought I\u2019d have to climb.I didn\u2019t know I had it in me,This strength, this part of me that could endure,Until life left me\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "poem"","block_context":{"text":"poem","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poem\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"photo of woman in boxing gloves","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pexels-photo-1608099.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\/11\/pexels-photo-1608099.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pexels-photo-1608099.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pexels-photo-1608099.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2461,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/learning-to-love-me-spoken-word\/","url_meta":{"origin":2867,"position":5},"title":"Learning to Love Me spoken word.","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"August 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I used to search for love in every corner,In every face, in every word,Hoping someone would see me,And finally, I\u2019d be heard. But the more I searched,The more I felt alone,Trying to find my worthIn places I\u2019d never known. I thought love was somethingI had to earn,A prize for the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "POETRY"","block_context":{"text":"POETRY","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"man in red polo shirt smiling","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-photo-5543539.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\/08\/pexels-photo-5543539.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-photo-5543539.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-photo-5543539.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2867","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=2867"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2867\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2868,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2867\/revisions\/2868"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}