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Home/Poetry & Prose/Poetry

Poetry

I am not selfish

Maverick Kabelo23 Dec 20221 min read

A crumpled ball of yellow lined paper with handwriting on it sits on a dark slate surface — Steve Johnson (Unsplash)

Once, you were my everything
My heart and soul, my everything
But as the days turned into months
I found myself feeling trapped and smothered

At first, I loved your constant presence
But then it started to feel like oppression
Your need for constant attention
Became a burden, a weight on my chest

I tried to ignore the mounting irritation
But in the end, it was too much for me to bear
I had to end things, to set myself free
But in doing so, I broke your heart

And for that, I am truly sorry
But I had to do what was best for me
Though it may have hurt you in the end
I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive

And move on, to find someone new
Who will love you, and cherish you
The way you deserved to be loved
All along.

Written byMaverick KabeloFounder, Digital Thread

Speaker, founder and civic organiser working across Botswana and South Africa on digital strategy, AI, data protection and youth leadership. Founder of Digital Thread and The Civic Chapter; founded Africa’s Very Own in 2018.

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