Where Fewer Footsteps Follow

It feels strange now,

Not hearing your footsteps beside mine. 

There was a comfort in your presence, 

A quiet reassurance,

In knowing I wasn’t walking alone

Every road I wandered,

You were there, 

Or at least,

I believed you would be. 

I refused to move without you,

Anchored myself to your pace,

Convinced myself that us together,

Was the only way forward. 

There were moments you drifted behind,

But I waited. 

I always waited. 

I slowed my stride,

Stilled my progress, 

Lingered in places I was never meant to stay. 

Just to hear your sound,

Just to barely hear your footsteps. 

And for a while, 

That felt like love. 

But somewhere along the journey,

The distance grew louder than your presence. 

The silence between your steps,

Began to echo.

I started to notice everything.

How often you fell behind,

How often I paused my becoming,

Just to keep you near, 

And I told myself it was loyalty.

I told myself it was patience,

But wisdom whispered something different. 

Not every path is meant to be shared. 

Not every companion, 

Is meant for the destination.  

I want to keep walking, 

No, I need to keep walking.

And I can’t keep silencing my purpose,

To hear footsteps that no longer match my own. 

So I made the choice, 

And broke my promise to you,

I decided to keep going.

It hurt,

God, it still hurts.

There is an ache in outgrowing someone,

You once couldn’t imagine losing. 

But even in the quiet,

I realized something profound,

That I was never truly alone.

There are footsteps next to me,

Still walking beside me,

They’re steady and present,

Aligned with where I’m going,

Not pulling me back,

Not asking me to shrink, 

But growing with me. 

I understand now, 

To walk in wisdom,

Sometimes it means walking away. 

I once prayed you would catch up to me. 

But now I pray something different for you,

I pray you find your own path. 

I have finally accepted,

What my heart fought for so long,

Some people are meant for a chapter,

Not the entire journey,

And I must keep moving forward,

Even if the road ahead echoes softer,

Where fewer footsteps follow.