I need truth & light,
not lies & fights.
Emotional security,
not shame & anxiety.
I need love that’s true.
Sometimes ‘Hello Me’
is pronounced ‘Goodbye You.’
Not every promise is golden.
Sometimes, vows need to be broken.
Leaving was brave,
given how you behaved.
Not every ending is unhappy.
Sometimes ‘Goodbye You’
means ‘Hello Me.’
I’d rather be single
than a married martyr.
I’d rather laugh & mingle
than keep on trying harder.
I need something new.
Sometimes ‘Hello Me’
is pronounced ‘Goodbye You.’
I choose my mental health
over double-income wealth
Wellness over weakness,
happiness over secrets,
freedom over familiarity.
Sometimes ‘Goodbye You’
means ‘Hello Me.’
© 2025 Joan Zaruba. All rights reserved.
I played around with the order of these stanzas a lot before finally settling on this order. I also debated the title. At first I called it "Sometimes" but I worried it weakened the declarations of self-discovery within the poem. Does the flow work for you as a reader? How about the title?
