You said you wanted something casual,
Something simple, no strings attached.
But I wasn\u2019t ready for that.
I\u2019ve been hurt too many times before,
And the last thing I want this year
Is to be just an option.
A backup plan.
Someone who\u2019s there only when it\u2019s convenient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It wasn\u2019t easy to accept the way things were,
To look at your reasons and say,
\u201cYeah, I get it. It makes sense.\u201d
But deep down, I knew\u2026
I deserve more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve realized that I\u2019ve been holding on
To expectations that weigh me down.
Hopes so high they block the view of reality.
And now, I need to let go
Let go of the \u201cwhat ifs\u201d and \u201cmaybes,\u201d
And start focusing on what\u2019s real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No need to apologize.
No need for regrets.
We did what we thought was right at the time.
And maybe, just maybe,
This was meant to happen,
To teach me how strong I can be,
Or how weak I actually am.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Life doesn\u2019t promise to be fair.
Every person we meet plays a role,
Some to lift us up,
Others to teach us lessons we didn\u2019t know we needed.
And you?
You weren\u2019t a mistake.
Not even close.
You were a moment, a chapter,
One I\u2019m grateful to have read,
Even if it didn\u2019t end the way I hoped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re still friends
At least, that\u2019s what we agreed.
But let\u2019s be honest,
Boundaries have to exist.
Because without them,
Someone will end up hurt,
And this time, I refuse to be the one bleeding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your reasons were valid.
I see that now.
But if I kept holding on,
I\u2019d be stuck in a relationship alone,
Fighting battles only I cared to win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, here I am.
Learning to walk away,
Not because I want to,
But because I have to.
For me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s not easy to let go,
To watch the memories play like old reruns,
To see you smiling with someone else.
But I\u2019ve learned this:
Holding on to pain only keeps me stuck,
And I want to move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year, I\u2019m choosing me.
My peace, my worth, my happiness.
It\u2019s not selfish, it\u2019s necessary.
And maybe one day,
I\u2019ll look back and thank this moment
For teaching me how to love myself first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For now, I take it one step at a time,
One breath, one day,
Hoping that the weight will get lighter,
And the path ahead will get clearer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because this?
This is my story,
And I\u2019m ready to write the next chapter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You said you wanted something casual,Something simple, no strings attached.But I wasn\u2019t ready for that.I\u2019ve been hurt too many times before,And the last thing I want this yearIs to be just an option.A backup plan.Someone who\u2019s there only when it\u2019s convenient. It wasn\u2019t easy to accept the way things were,To look at your reasons and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2998,"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":[121,97,25,98],"tags":[35,49,34,61,55,53,22,48],"class_list":["post-2996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-poem","category-poetry","category-solitude","category-storytime","tag-poems","tag-poetess","tag-poetry","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\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-153204.png?fit=446%2C622&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3001,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/tired-of-feeling-like-just-a-name-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":2996,"position":0},"title":"Tired of feeling like just a name by walking shadow poetry.","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"January 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"You said you wanted something casual,Something simple, no strings, just natural.But I wasn\u2019t ready for that game,Tired of feeling like just a name. I\u2019ve been hurt too many times before,And now my heart won\u2019t take it anymore.The last thing I want this year to be,Is someone\u2019s backup, can\u2019t you see?\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\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-154226.png?fit=434%2C639&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2604,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/a-battle-i-never-chose-by-walking-shadow-poetry-kenya\/","url_meta":{"origin":2996,"position":1},"title":"A Battle I Never Chose by walking shadow poetry Kenya.","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"September 7, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019ve carried this weight since I was a child,Rejection met me when I was too young to understand.The words they threw stuck like barbed wire in my skin,I grew up wearing it like an invisible cloakTrying to be good enough, trying to fit in. I learned early how to smile\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "POETRY"","block_context":{"text":"POETRY","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"calm man with flowers on pavement","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-5714746.jpeg?fit=805%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-5714746.jpeg?fit=805%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-5714746.jpeg?fit=805%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-5714746.jpeg?fit=805%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2414,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/the-fear-of-love-the-craving-for-love\/","url_meta":{"origin":2996,"position":2},"title":"The Fear of Love, The Craving for Love","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"August 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019ve been down this road before,Where love feels like a battlefield,And every scar tells a story,Of promises broken,Of trust shattered,Of dreams that turned to dust. I gave my heart,Like a gift wrapped in hope,And watched as it was taken,Then tossed aside,As if my love wasn\u2019t enough,As if I wasn\u2019t enough.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "POETRY"","block_context":{"text":"POETRY","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"snow man holiday couple","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-photo-6549824.jpeg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-photo-6549824.jpeg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-photo-6549824.jpeg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-photo-6549824.jpeg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-photo-6549824.jpeg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2600,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/a-life-of-closed-doors\/","url_meta":{"origin":2996,"position":3},"title":"A Life of Closed Doors","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"September 7, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I grew up with the word \"No\"Echoing through my life like a broken song,Each time I tried to reach for something,The world reminded me I didn\u2019t belong. As a child, I learned how to hide my heart,Burying it beneath layers of quiet pain,Rejection wasn't just a moment, it was a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "POETRY"","block_context":{"text":"POETRY","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"diverse young men bullying crying ethnic lady","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-6147126.jpeg?fit=1200%2C779&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-6147126.jpeg?fit=1200%2C779&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-6147126.jpeg?fit=1200%2C779&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-6147126.jpeg?fit=1200%2C779&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-6147126.jpeg?fit=1200%2C779&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3241,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/i-let-you-go-because-i-learned-to-love-me-too\/","url_meta":{"origin":2996,"position":4},"title":"I Let You Go, Because I Learned to Love Me Too","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"April 21, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I didn\u2019t just wake up feeling strong.That strength grew from late nights,Tear-stained pillows, and quiet prayers I barely managed to say.So many times, I couldn\u2019t breathe from the weight of questions I never got answers to.I kept asking myself what I did wrong,Why love couldn\u2019t fix it,Why I kept holding\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\/DSC_0043-7.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\/DSC_0043-7.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/DSC_0043-7.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/DSC_0043-7.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/DSC_0043-7.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2718,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/i-am-more-than-this-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":2996,"position":5},"title":"I Am More Than This by walking shadow poetry","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"September 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I never thought I\u2019d be here,In the shadows, filled with fear.The love I once knew turned cold,And now I feel I'm growing old. It didn\u2019t start with a heavy hand,Just words, control, and silent demands.Little by little, you tore me apart,Until I no longer knew my own heart. You said\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "POETRY"","block_context":{"text":"POETRY","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"human fist","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/fist-blow-power-wrestling-163431.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\/fist-blow-power-wrestling-163431.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/fist-blow-power-wrestling-163431.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/fist-blow-power-wrestling-163431.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/fist-blow-power-wrestling-163431.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2996","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=2996"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2996\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2999,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2996\/revisions\/2999"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}