By Choice

It's not that I can't see a future without you--
it would be possible; I could make it work.
It just doesn't look as grand to me.
It's not that I can't survive without you--
I could; I'm more than a bit hardy.
I just don't want to need to try.
It's not that the world is dark without you--
but the lights are lovelier with you,
and I just don't want to go alone.

So, no, I don't need you in my life.
I just want you there. For all the rest of it.
Because I can flourish, survive, enjoy
all I have, by myself, and it would still be good--
I just choose not to, because I like what I see
better when you're in it.
Which is what I always wanted from love,
someone I chose to be with, not because
I had to, or needed to, or was afraid not to,
but because I wanted to.
There is no love truer than that.