We used to walk like sisters,
laughing at things only we understood.
Now we pass each other
like two strangers with empty eyes —
as if history can suddenly forget itself. 

Did you forget the nights I showed up for you?
The days I stood beside you
when the whole world felt loud and wrong?
Did you forget how easily you leaned on me,
how quickly you called my name
when you needed someone solid? 

You said you “have your reasons.”
Funny how reasons appear
only when it’s my turn to be held.
When I needed you,
your silence was louder than any truth. 

And still, I kept giving.
Giving too much.
Loving too deeply.
Offering more than anyone ever returned. 

But I’m done breaking myself
to prove I’m loyal.
I’m done pouring into friendships
that evaporate when the heat comes. 

I’m choosing my own corner now —
my God, my family, my growth,
my beauty, my strength, my money,
everything that shapes me
into who I’m becoming. 

If my success makes anybody uneasy,
they can step back.
If my light feels too bright,
they can blink. 

Because I finally understand:
I wasn’t losing a friend —
I was losing a weight
that pretended to be one.

Poem by Adewunmi