The day I realized 
among willow trees
and lilac fields
that I was just like the others,
that the holes in your watering can
weren’t made for me,
that I have been starving myself of life,
withering, wilting, weeping away
I let go.

I’ve walked through storms
I’ve climbed mountains
And crawled through ditches in the dirt
To realize
that rain provides more shelter than your words ever will
that my reflection does not define my beauty
that my molten eyes do not determine my strength
that I can grow without you.

I’ve learned to root myself in something else
stem by stem
leaf by leaf
I pulled away from the need 
to feel validated by 
your sunlight and attention.

In years to come
You will find
that all along you forgot to water me
and the drops will spill on barren land
when you learn that
I have traveled
to a garden of my own.