I Prayed Today

I said a prayer for you today.

I prayed you would have the courage
to come face to face with a mirror
and be proud of what you saw.

I prayed you would speak
with a gentle strength that
would bring people's walls
to their knees.

I prayed you stop hiding from your fears
and be brave enough to recognize that they're
just mannequins wearing masks.

And I prayed you would stop putting my name
and her name in the same category, like we were
ever the same person.

I prayed for me, too.
I prayed that I could move on
and know, in my heart, that I am strong.
I am strong on my own.
I'm strong without you.

For a while I regretted it, but now I see.
The person I needed to pray for the most was me.