Bella Bantjes Poet Free verse

I Left You Behind

Time hit me differently,
but don’t pretend you changed.
Wanting me became useless
when every excuse finally ran dry.

Every sacrifice stole my hours,
piece by piece,
until time itself became a debt
you never intended to repay.

Believe me,
I didn’t look back.
I left with my pride intact.

I walked away from everything
you killed inside me.
I left you behind.

You tried to keep me small,
pressed down beneath your weight,
mistaking my patience
for something you could own.
But now I know better.
You will not break me again.

I still carry your secrets.
I know the shape of your worst mistakes.
You played with my weakness,
stripped me of my strength,
and called it love.

One day you’ll see this clearly,
not rewritten, not softened,
exactly as it was.

Go on, replay every memory,
because that's all that’s left of us.

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Bella Bantjes December 16, 2025 at 2:14 AM This poem was written from the moment clarity replaces hope. It’s about choosing yourself after realizing that love should not cost your dignity, your time, or your voice. I Left You Behind is not about bitterness, it’s about boundaries, self respect, and the quiet strength it takes to walk away without rewriting the truth. If this poem resonated with you, what was the moment you realized you had to walk away?