I Am Not Yours to Shape

I am the river, wild and wide, Not yours to dam, not yours to guide. You cast your stones, but I still flow— A deeper truth than you can know. The wind does not explain its flight, Nor asks permission for its height. So why should I, with open skies, Bow low to soothe your jealous eye's You lied with ease, then turned away, Thinking truth would never stray. But lies don’t drown—they float, they burn— And every secret finds its turn. You thought I was blind, or worse, naïve, But even silence learns to leave. You played your part, then broke the frame, And still you try to shift the blame. You shattered love like glass in hand— A gift too pure to understand. What I gave freely, you destroyed, And left behind a hollow void. But guilt is not a gift I take, And shame’s a mask I will not make. I rise with roots too strong to break, I bloom for me, not for your sake. So keep your chains, your doubt, your game— I’m not a pawn to hold your name. I’ll walk the woods where silence sings, And claim the peace that freedom brings. Scott W.