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[Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/photos/search/peace/)
No more stress, I say gently,
like a lullaby to my own heart.
The burden I bore in secret.
The sound that never left my mind—
I throw it like a stone into quiet water.
Allow it to sink. Let it disappear.
I do not race the clock anymore.
Or running after people who don't know I exist.
I won't solicit for attention.
In rooms where I beg for respect.
My peace is no longer what to negotiate about.
It is my own, and I choose it on a daily basis.
I breathe more slowly.
I speak with concern, not dread.
When my heart feels heavy, I walk away.
Not out of frailty,
But now I understand.
What does it mean for me to protect myself?
Allow the world to move quickly.
Let the loud voices fight.
I will be still.
anchored in tranquility.
Grounded in joy,
unapologetically quiet
in a society that screams too loudly.
No more stress!
Just Peace,
Purposefully.
and without permission.