I used to try to squeeze into corners because I didn’t want to

fill a room all by myself

until I was sure I had become the person I aspired to be

but I never was that person.

And so I’m coming to terms with the fact

that there will always be parts of me that are

not quite where I want them to be; shards

of thought, languid limbs, strands of hair

in disarray when I feel like I should be

perfect. It’s not

that I’m settling for less. I’m just

learning

slowly

that I don’t have to apologize

for taking up space.