Of course I can do it alone.
I always do.

I’ve learned how to carry
groceries, pain, memories, solitude, compliance
sometimes all at once.

I’ve figured out how to untangle things
no one else noticed they were knotted.

I answer my own questions,
fight my own doubts,
cheer myself
when the silence is too loud.

People say, ‘you’re so strong,’
like it’s a gift,
not something I built brick by brick
when no one showed up.

But yes, I can do it alone.
I just wish
I didn’t always have to.