Stopped Saying It

I used to bring things up

When something didn’t feel right

Used to stay in the moment

Until we talked it through

Now I let it pass

Before it turns into anything

I tell myself it’s easier

For both of us this way

Nothing starts

Nothing breaks

But something inside me

Changes every time I let it go

I stopped saying it

Stopped being clear

Stopped telling the truth

Just to keep the peace here

I stopped saying it

And now I see

Silence can change

Who you’re allowed to be

I hear myself agreeing

Before I even think

Let the subject move on

Before it gets too deep

I call it patience

I call it control

But every quiet choice

Takes something from my voice

There’s a cost

To keeping things smooth

You lose the part of you

That speaks the truth

I stopped saying it

Stopped making it hard

Stopped pushing back

When something felt wrong

I stopped saying it

And now it’s clear

Everything’s calm

But I don’t feel like I’m here

Nobody told me to be quiet

That part is mine

I chose the calm

Over being honest

And now the silence

Feels permanent

Like the truth

Would sound too loud

Everything steady

Everything still

I stopped saying it

And now it’s gone

The part of me

That pushed back strong

I stopped saying it

To keep things right

Now everything works

And I don’t feel alive

You don’t lose your voice all at once

You trade it away

One quiet night at a time