Must I ask to breathe?
Must I ask to be left alone, in my own space?
In my own silence, in my own stillness?
Why does love feel like war?
Like I have to defend my peace,
From the very person who claimed to bring it.
Why does affection feel like obligation, wrapped in guilt?
No……
I do not need permission to stay home,
I do not need permission to say no,
I do not need permission to protect my peace,
To guard my energy,
To draw a line between myself and what drains me.
Do I need your approval to feel overwhelmed?
To say I’m tired?
To stop compromising myself for your comfort?
No…..
I do not need permission to be alone.
To enjoy my own company,
To choose myself first, again and again.
I have bent, I have yielded,
I have stayed when I wanted to go,
I have smiled when I wanted to cry,
Said yes, when every part of me screamed “NO”
But now…….
I choose me
I choose peace over presence
Silence over shouting matches disguised as love
Boundaries over begging to be heard.
Do I need permission to “NOT LOVE?”
No….
Because love without consent is not love.
Love without freedom is a cage,
Love that trespasses, that demands,
That gaslights and is selfish, is not love.
You make demands like I owe you obedience,
Like I’m a project that needs fixing,
A puzzle piece that will fit,
Only if I twist and turn,
Stay longer, let you in deeper
You said your love was real,
But if love leaves bruises on my peace,
If love feels like invasion,
If I have to beg for room to breathe,
Then that isn’t love, its Bondage.
So don’t ask me why I changed,
Ask yourself why I had to,
Change is constant after all.
And I do not need permission,
To reclaim my voice,
To draw my lines,
To walk away.
About the Creator
Peace Oputa
I am a Multilingual wordsmith, weaving my joys, wounds, and transformations into words. My writing mirrors my seasons, restless storms, quiet healing, fleeting laughter, and deep longing. sometimes light, sometimes heavy, but always real.
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By Peace Oputa9 months ago in Poets
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Comments (4)
True. We have to put boundary, for many relations turn toxic if not restricted.
Thanks for putting into words, something so many people feel but have trouble expressing.
Facts and powerful! Such a brave thing to do for yourself.
This is searing, courageous, and absolutely necessary! “No is a sentence” and “If love leaves bruises on my peace... then that isn’t love, it’s bondage”—these lines strike like thunderclaps.💖