{"id":3164,"date":"2025-04-03T13:51:26","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T13:51:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/?p=3164"},"modified":"2025-04-03T13:51:28","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T13:51:28","slug":"regret-is-a-ruthless-teacher-but-i-learned","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/regret-is-a-ruthless-teacher-but-i-learned\/","title":{"rendered":"Regret is a Ruthless Teacher, But I Learned"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I was left with questions,<br>ones that echoed in my mind like an unanswered call,<br>ones that made my heart sink a little deeper into itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Was it my body?<br>Was it my heart?<br>Was it something I said, something that didn\u2019t sit right with you?<br>Did I turn you off?<br>Did I say too much, or maybe too little?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I wished we could talk about it,<br>clear the air,<br>lay it all down,<br>but then I remembered,<br>there was nothing to talk about, was there?<br>Because there was nothing we had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or maybe\u2026 maybe it was because I didn\u2019t hug you goodbye in public?<br>Was that it?<br>Because I don\u2019t do that, it\u2019s not me.<br>And you\u2026 you wouldn\u2019t have made the move either.<br>Maybe if I had, things would have been easier,<br>maybe it would have softened the silence that followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you know that was the last time we\u2019d meet?<br>Because I didn\u2019t.<br>I didn\u2019t know that moment would be the final page of whatever story this was.<br>I thought there would be another chapter,<br>but you closed the book without warning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And when I realized you weren\u2019t going to call,<br>when it finally hit me that my phone wasn\u2019t going to light up with your name,<br>I asked.<br>Not out of desperation,<br>not to beg,<br>but because I needed to know.<br>Because my heart deserved at least that much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And all you said,<br>all you had to say,<br>was that we shouldn\u2019t talk about it.<br>That as long as we both enjoyed it, that was all that mattered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But tell me,<br>did you ever wonder if I enjoyed the way it ended?<br>If I enjoyed the silence, the emptiness, the way my own thoughts became a battlefield?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I wished I could have spoken then,<br>told you what was burning inside me.<br>But I couldn\u2019t.<br>I froze.<br>I swallowed words that begged to be set free.<br>And because I stayed silent, the pain settled in,<br>took root,<br>made itself at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And what happened between us?<br>It did nothing but make the hurt worse.<br>It made me regret opening that door,<br>regret giving you access to places in me that not just anyone gets to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But\u2026 it\u2019s okay.<br>It\u2019s okay because pain is a teacher,<br>and I am a student who learns the hard way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One day, the wounds will close.<br>One day, I\u2019ll look back and not feel the sting.<br>One day, I\u2019ll hear your name and not feel the weight of it in my chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I will heal.<br>Definitely not overnight.<br>and not all at once.<br>But I will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And when I do,<br>I will carry the lessons with me,<br>not as chains,<br>but as reminders.<br>Yes, not as wounds,<br>but as wisdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that\u2026<br>That is enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/its-strange-really-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/\">When Silence Feels Too Loud by Walking Shadow Poetry<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/walkingshadowpoetrykenya\/\">(7) Facebook<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"HEALING POEM | Walking shadow poetry by Precious Owoko | poet| poetess | spoken word\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3FBOFPRRCOI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I was left with questions,ones that echoed in my mind like an unanswered call,ones that made my heart sink a little deeper into itself. Was it my body?Was it my heart?Was it something I said, something that didn\u2019t sit right with you?Did I turn you off?Did I say too much, or maybe too little? I [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3165,"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":[35,49,34,67,50,61,55,53,22,48],"class_list":["post-3164","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-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\/2025\/04\/09023f4b49650973a76c7e72bcf6ae06.jpg?fit=236%2C419&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3248,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/if-it-wasnt-love-why-did-it-hurt-like-this\/","url_meta":{"origin":3164,"position":0},"title":"\u201cIf It Wasn\u2019t Love, Why Did It Hurt Like This?\u201d","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"April 25, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I didn\u2019t plan this.Honestly, falling for you wasn\u2019t on my checklist.At first, you were just my person, my safe place,the one who made the world feel a little less loud. Over time, though, things began to shift.At first, it was subtle.Then gradually, your smile started feeling like home.And suddenly, your\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;poem&quot;","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_9953-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9953-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9953-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9953-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3007,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/spoken-word-the-weight-i-carry-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":3164,"position":1},"title":"Spoken Word: The Weight I Carry by walking shadow poetry","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"January 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I carry this weight,Not on my back, but in my chest.It\u2019s heavy, constant, and it doesn\u2019t rest.I\u2019ve tried to be strong,But honestly, how long can I fake being okayWhen everything feels so wrong? Relationships?I got into them, hoping for love,Dreaming of something real, something solid.Instead, I built castles in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;poem&quot;","block_context":{"text":"poem","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poem\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"reflection of woman s eye on broken mirror","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/pexels-photo-2282000.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/pexels-photo-2282000.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/pexels-photo-2282000.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/pexels-photo-2282000.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/pexels-photo-2282000.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3343,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/they-never-ever-believed-in-me\/","url_meta":{"origin":3164,"position":2},"title":"They never ever believed in Me","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"July 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"They didn\u2019t clap.Not when I tried.Not when I stayed up all night just to prove a point.Not when I kept showing up with a voice no one heard. Instead, they looked away.They shrugged.They asked, \u201cAre you still doing that thing?\u201dlike passion has an expiry date. At first, I thought maybe\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;poem&quot;","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\/07\/LP_-63-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/LP_-63-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/LP_-63-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/LP_-63-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3241,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/i-let-you-go-because-i-learned-to-love-me-too\/","url_meta":{"origin":3164,"position":3},"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 &quot;poem&quot;","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":2679,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/the-quiet-thought-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":3164,"position":4},"title":"The Quiet Thought by walking shadow poetry.","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"September 18, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s late, and the silence is loud,I\u2019m here, lying still, but my mind, it\u2019s a crowd.I\u2019ve thought about it, more than I should,What if I just\u2026 stopped? Would that be good? I lost my parent, and with them, my light,Now I\u2019m alone, nothing feels right.The pain doesn\u2019t leave, it just\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;POETRY&quot;","block_context":{"text":"POETRY","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"grayscale photo of a person writing on notebook","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-5702412.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-5702412.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-5702412.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-5702412.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-5702412.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3290,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/i-wanted-to-be-wrong-about-you-turns-out-i-was-right\/","url_meta":{"origin":3164,"position":5},"title":"\u201cI Wanted to Be Wrong About You-Turns Out, I Was Right\u201d","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"May 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"So this is how it ends,not with anger,not with blame,but with a quiet acheI didn\u2019t see coming\u2026or maybe I did. Because truth be told,I saw it coming.I felt it in the pauses,in the way your heart never fully settled.And even though I sensedyou might one day go back,I kept wishing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;poem&quot;","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\/05\/18d5fb1ebe8e06b751ca735370fdf4ee.jpg?fit=236%2C420&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3164","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=3164"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3164\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3166,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3164\/revisions\/3166"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}