She wanted to be who others needed her to be,
Who others thought she actually was
Even walking the path the universe laid out for her.
Until the moment came
She realized in her own absence, the emptiness
Was a darkness she could no longer carry.
So she stopped pretending,
And threw her shame out the door.
Closed her mind and heart to all those voices who never really knew her.
And she became herself
A thousand times over
A thousand times within.
Not even the universe recognized her.
It didn’t matter. Because she finally recognized herself.