You Survived Me? Poem by Boledi R Petja

His Response

I hear you.
I hear everything you are saying about how you felt and what you went through.
And look, I am not trying to dismiss your emotions, but I honestly never saw things the way you did.
To me, everything between us was just what it was.
I take life as it comes.
I move with whatever vibe feels right in the moment.
I am not the type to analyze every interaction or attach deeper meaning to things that were meant to stay simple.

You say I made you feel unappreciated and overlooked.
If that is how you feel, then I will not argue with that.
But from my side, I never acted like I was offering more than what I gave.
I showed up when I wanted to, when it aligned with where my mind was at.
I never pretended to be something I am not.
I am not the guy who changes himself for anyone.
I do not adjust my lifestyle, my habits, or my priorities because someone expects more from me.
I am good with who I am, and I stick to my own rhythm.

Somewhere along the line, I think you started expecting depth from something I never meant to deepen.
You invested feelings that I never asked you to invest.
You went above and beyond at times when I was just keeping things easy and light.
You chose to be present in ways I never required.
And I get that it hurts, but I cannot carry the responsibility for decisions you made from your heart.

I hear you saying I made you feel like an option or like you were only convenient to me.
If that is your interpretation, then that is how you perceive it.
But I did not go out of my way to treat you badly.
I simply lived in the space I was comfortable with, and you were part of that space when it fit.
I was there when I was there.
I was not when I was not.
It really is not more complicated than that for me.

If distance is what you need to feel whole again, then I respect that.
I do not feel the need to argue or clear the air further.
I am not upset about the silence, and I am not bothered by the separation.
Sometimes people just drift in different directions, and that is how life goes.

But I will say this.
I appreciate how you shared yourself with me.
That was an experience on my side.
You showed me a kind of openness that not everyone brings into my life, and I do recognize that.
I have nothing against you, not now and not moving forward.
Whatever you feel, whatever you believe, whatever story you need to hold onto, that is your truth.
And I will let it be what it is.

I wish you all the best in life.
Genuinely.
No hard feelings.
No bitterness.
Just two people moving differently now.
And I will stay where I am, living how I live, without changing who I am for anyone.