Solitary Pride

Do you feel alone, in need of a friend?

Are your companions indifferent, their warmth at an end?

Your friends cast you aside, it seems,

Is that why you seek my company, your desperate dreams?

If so, I must say, please disappear,

I'm not a vessel for your despair.

I'm not yearning for company, nor desperate for a mate,

Approach me only if you truly relate.

Otherwise, find someone who mirrors your plight,

A kindred spirit lost in the dimness of night.

For that's what you deserve - a reflection of your own pain,

A companion as hollow, as empty, as vain.

I may lack friends, but I stand proud and free,

Content in my solitude, I seek not your plea.

No validation sought, no pity desired,

My pride burns bright, unbroken and untired.

I won't offer you comfort, nor listen to your strife,

Shallow desires find no shelter in my life.

So think twice before adding me to your plan,

I'm not a shoulder to lean on, not part of your clan.

If I'm your first choice, then I'll place you in mine,

But if I'm not, please don't waste my time.

I play no second fiddle, no part on the side,

I'll not be an afterthought - I'm filled with pride.

I refuse to be your fallback, your plan B,

I've traveled that path, and it's not meant for me.

A bitter lesson learned, a boundary drawn clear,

My pride is my treasure, which I'll forever revere.

I'll not trade my dignity for attention so rare,

Nor surrender my spirit to moments of despair.

Alone I may stand, but my soul remains strong,

To myself I am faithful, to myself I belong.