Ways I Changed After You Left

after Amanda Madsen (@givemeasmirnoffice on TikTok)

Photo by Cristian Escobar on Unsplash

I stopped drinking my coffee black

I dyed my auburn hair back to my roots of blonde

I listened to my favorite music again (and no longer had to worry about you changing the station when you walked in)

I pierced my ears, got more tattoos

I looked strangers in the eye and wore a genuine smile

I spent hours wandering my quiet neighborhood, each step bringing me further away from you

I returned back to myself after you left

and stopped trying to be everything I’m not.

Note: “After” poems are popular in the poetry/writing Instagram world. They are a way for you to credit the inspiration behind your piece of writing. I came across a TikTok by Amanda Madsen about how she changed after a breakup, creating a version of herself that her ex didn’t know. For me, I changed back to myself after a breakup and stopped trying to be someone I’m not.