I let myself fall

I put down the weight of my dreams

I closed the curtains, hid under blankets

While I taught myself about boundaries

I said no to things that felt like tightening in my heart or twisting in my chest

I felt

I let myself, for the first time, unfold the carefully wrapped package that boxed my needs, tucked away at the back of the closet

I let myself speak, quietly at first, from the voice of the parts that had been long ago silenced

And patiently

I listened.