I Am Not Who I Used To Be Poem by RHODVICK LUSENO

I used to say yes
to things that broke me.
Stayed quiet
just to keep the peace.
Dressed my wounds in silence
and called it strength.
But not anymore.
I no longer water what doesn't bloom.
I no longer beg doors to open.
Growth taught me
that walking away isn't quitting
it's choosing myself.
I buried pieces of me
with trembling hands,
not because I hated them,
but because they weren't built
for who I'm becoming.
Growth is not always a sunrise.
Sometimes it's a thunderstorm.
Ugly. Honest.
Necessary.
And when people ask,
"What changed you? "
I smile and say,
'Pain made me softer But not weaker.'