No Man About

There is no voice here
telling me to quiet down,
no eyes rolling
when I laugh too loudly
or change the plan.

I walk beside women
who know how to show up
not to fix,
not to own,
just to be.

We trade stories instead of apologies.
We hold space instead of scorecards.
There are no eggshells here.
Only wildflowers and honesty.

I am not someone’s other half.
I am whole,
finally.

And in this space
where no man hovers,
I find the room to stretch,
to breathe,
to belong.

Friendship,
without conditions.
Freedom,
without fear.
Me,
without compromise.