the good days don't always last,
you sink, deeper and deeper,
back to that place you tried so hard to get out of.

its always, "just once more"
but it never stops,
and you can't get back out.

The world is the same

for you and for me—

What we see

depends on

where we stand.

If you choose

to be a student

anyone or anything

           can

be your teacher.

A girl child
when born
to a family

is

either
seen as

a

burden to be
disposed of

or

too precious a treasure
kept hidden for protection

but

not once considered
as a human being.

There exists an ocean

of words—

beautiful and meaningful.

Yet, sometimes

someone finds

just one word,

powerful enough

to turn a life

upside down.

You asked me
the reasons to be
thankful for this life.

Yes, maybe I should be thankful
for not finding myself in a war zone,
for having a good education,
a roof over my head,
a job to pay the bills.

But I never had
the life I truly wanted,
not a single dream
ever came true.

So, I am not
​thankful for the life
​I got to live.

I smell rain and wet pavement
and sun
As I dance and I float
and I run
I hear laughter and cries
and song
As the sky’s colors bleed
into dawn
I watch as purples and pinks
fade away
As calm blue settles
over the day
I feel fresh air and dirt
underneath
As the spring I’ve so missed
breaks through the trees
I taste sweet berries and love
on my tongue
As freedom and bliss burn through me
like ***