I’d be lying if I said
the glitter of newness
isn’t turning my head.

I’ve learned to love the stillness—
the quiet pace I once resisted—
it hums with meaning now.

Yet a shadow lingers:
the fear of walking old circles,
mistaking patterns for paths,
and forgetting, once again,
to choose myself.

I once chased potential,
clung to hope as if it were proof,
and settled into uncertainty without love.

But now I know better;
I want assurance,
I want conviction,
I want a love that stays.

Mariam Shittu

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