i am destined to be great
i know what i am capable of
how i don’t need anyone
to achieve my destiny

that’s the issue
i don’t need anyone

i am a furnace
built by the embers and ashes of my past
slowing burning with passions so wild
they might set the earth on fire

i stand firm as a brick
steady, strong, and mounted
in the fact that
i am whole
i need no other

it is a radical thought
one that took many moons and countless suns to comprehend

but maybe i want someone

can i allow myself that simple desire?
someone tell me

how do i teach myself
that wanting something does not make you any less whole
it does not strip you of your fire
your strength
your steadiness

wanting love does not make you weak
it does not require you to
shed skin or fake frailty
that is just the trend

trends can be broken
i can learn to love
and conquer the world
with another by my side

—my destiny does not have to be lonely