Reciprocity

I have worn the masks you needed,

softened edges to fit your palms,

shrunk myself into the shape

of what made you comfortable.

I have been the quiet echo

when your voice needed room,

the gentle tide retreating

so your waves could crash.

But friendship is not a shadow

cast only in one direction,

not a mirror reflecting back

only the parts you wish to see.

It is the meeting of unguarded souls,

the offering of truths unpolished,

the standing still in the storm

without asking for the rain to stop.

I will not fold myself into corners,

dim my light to soothe your eyes,

or carve away my voice

just so yours can feel whole.

Love me as I am—

as I have loved you.

Let us both be vast and real,

unchained by expectation,

bound only by truth.

And if this cannot be—

if my fullness offends,

if my truth is too heavy

for the space you’ve carved,

then let me walk unburdened,

let me be wind, untamed,

let me exist without apology

for the fire in my name.

I will not barter my soul

for a seat at a table

where only fragments of me

are welcome to stay.

Love should not be a contract

of silence and smallness,

nor should friendship require

the sacrifice of self.

So if I must choose

between my truth and your comfort,

then I choose to stand whole,

even if I stand alone.