Decisions Poem by Micronjan Ivers

I weigh the quiet of staying
like a stone in my palm—
heavy, familiar,
worn smooth by habit.

Leaving glows in the distance,
not light exactly,
but heat.
A fire that could warm me
or burn everything I know.

Staying asks for patience,
for learning how to breathe
in a room that no longer changes.
Leaving asks for courage
I'm not sure I own.

I stand between comfort and flame,
knowing both can hurt,
knowing both can save me,
and wondering which pain
leads to becoming whole.