I Don't Need

I don’t need for you to say you’re sorry for what you did
I need for you to show that you’ve changed
I don’t need excuses, the whys or where-fores to explain your actions
I need to know what plans you’ve made to resolve your excuses
I don’t need promises
I need action
I don’t need candy and roses
I need tenderness and trust
I don’t need shattered dreams and broken dishes
I need a future, with peace
I don’t need tears and bruises
I need laughter and love
I don’t need to hear the words “it will never happen again”
I need for it not to happen
I don’t need the chaos of your violent storms
I need the calm of quiet seas
I don’t need the terror of a war zone
I need the playfulness of a schoolyard
I don’t need a calendar and stop watch to monitor my day
I need freedom to come and go as I please
I don’t need you looking over my shoulder
I know there is no one standing there
I don’t need jealousy, outrage, or distrust
I need sanity, peace, quiet
I don’t need you
I do need me

- Rita H.