Of Course I Changed

They say it like a warning.

“You’ve changed.”

As if evolution is betrayal,

as if becoming whole is a sin.

Of course I changed.

I am no longer the girl

who mistook kindness for safety,

who thought silence was strength,

who gave until her soul thinned out

like paper soaked in rain.

I once held space for everyone-

even those who cracked me open,

even those who mistook my softness

for consent, my trust for a green light.

I smiled when I should’ve screamed.

I stayed quiet when my body begged to run.

I let shame dripped down my skin

as if my silence signed approval

I froze.

And the world moved on,

but I stayed behind-

trembling, invisible, ashamed.

But not anymore.

Now, I speak.

Now, I ask questions.

Now, I say no without explanation.

I recognize disrespect when it walks in

wearing politeness like perfume.

I know gaslighting

when it hides behind concern.

I’ve learned that love without boundaries

is just slow self-destruction.

So yes, I changed.

And I’m still changing.

This change is not bitterness-

it's reclamation.

It's choosing myself in a world

that only loved me when I was easy

to guilt, to bend, to silence.

Call it “showing my true colors”

if that helps you sleep-

but know this:

these colors are mine,

painted by pain,

blessed by healing,

and lit by the fire

of every woman

who finally said:

“No more.”

Of course I changed.

I had to-

to survive,

to breathe,

to be free.

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