Presence of Choice by Alecia Lewis | One Poem Only

One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise. Presence of ChoiceAlecia LewisI hold no one.They can come or go.Freely.Unbound.They may disconnectOnlineor in person.People may condemn me.I remain unshaken.Judgment falls.I do not carry it.If exiting brings peace,I let them go.With love.With grace.I hold only thoseWho choose to stay.The rest are shadows.I release them gently.More from Alecia Lewis ↓@neutralmuse73 on Instagram and SubstackSupport + Stay Connected to OPOIf you’d like to support the show, Substack and Patreon members receive a copy of my book, For My Daughter, along with episodes from the audiobook.Poetry slows us down. Thank you for listening.