I'm serious now, I truly don't care anymore.
Not in the way that's loud or dramatic,
but in the quiet way a heart finally chooses itself.
I've realized something simple, something painful, something freeing:
if I have to reach out first just to cross your thoughts,
if my absence doesn't echo in your mind,
then I would rather stay single than stay unseen.
I told you before, I don't want a man
who has to be reminded that I exist.
I don't want a love that survives only
because I keep watering it alone.
Feelings are meant to be mutual,
care is meant to be instinctive,
and presence should never feel like a favor.
Love checks in.
Love notices silence.
Love asks, "Are you okay?"
without being prompted.
Because love remembers.
It remembers your voice,
your moods,
the way your joy sounds lighter
and your pain feels heavier.
Love doesn't forget you for days
and call it being busy.
Love doesn't lose track of you
and blame life for the absence.
And if you don't remember me,
if I don't cross your mind naturally,
if I have to fight for space
in the thoughts of someone who claims to care
then what you're offering isn't love.
It's convenience.
It's comfort.
It's habit.
And I'm done shrinking myself
to fit into someone's forgetfulness.
So yes, I'd rather be single.
At least in my solitude,
I am remembered by myself.
At least my heart is not waiting
for someone who doesn't know
how to hold it without being asked.