Read Poems by Joshua Janke

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Abandoning Me

I’ve kept putting you last,
never my intention.
Thought we could always circle back.

Another rescue, another distraction—
until my own foe rose up to attack.

He only wanted peace,
and I was the one holding it back.

Didn’t notice the cracks spreading
until the whole began to sway.
Buried so deep the surface never showed
until it finally gave way.

In the rubble I saw the truth:
the foe had won.
But somehow… so had I.

The enemy was me—
buried beneath every “I’ll be back soon,”
honest at first,
until they turned into lies.

It took the fall to finally see:
I wasn’t fighting anyone else.
I was abandoning me.

Copyright © Joshua Janke | Year Posted 2026

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