Anna Kirshenbaum - They say we need another half...

They say we need another half –
As if we're not sufficient on our own,
As if whatever we are isn't enough.
They tell us to look for the so-called 'love',
Mistaking for it banal infatuation, or genuine gratitude,
Or every other thing we never think to seek within ourselves…

And I was one of your most brilliant students,
Wasting years on yearning for things others cannot possibly give me,
Dreaming of this bliss, reserved, apparently, for only the 'soul-mates',
Feeling broken for not finding,
Feeling sick at the thought of compromising,
Terrified of life in solitude, either alone or with unloved.

I've been misguided by misguided ones. But I know better now.
There are no other halves. There is no need to seek or pine – it's of no use.
My life – neglected all the while – has been impatiently waiting.
It missed me, I believe. I'm here to live it now, scared, yet… free?

Anna Kirshenbaum

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/they-say-we-need-another-half/