I'm learning to love myself
And I'm learning to slow down every once and awhile
And I'm learning to keep what's important close,
Not shove them away in fear they'll betray

I'm learning to discern
And I'm learning to assert
And I'm learning, even though it sometimes hurts me,
to just leave some things be

I'm learning to use my pain to push me forward
And I'm learning how to prove my disbelievers wrong
And I'm learning to make the best with what I have,
even when I may not have the best

Indeed,
I'm learning a lot of things.
But perhaps most of all,
I'm learning that it's much, much, easier to just be me

He is warmth
Sweetness
The flavor I never knew I needed

He is unique
Fulfilling
Pleasure in every bite

He is comfort
Fluffy
The treat I look forward to

He is my love.

I don't understand.
I don't understand
Why we're so mean,
Why we speak without thinking, and
Why people can hate each other over anything, or even nothing at all.

But most of all,
I don't understand
Why a label supposedly defines us all and
Why people don't feel safe in places they should.
Why does Destruction drag behind humanity like a ball and chain?

However, there are some things I understand.
I understand
Why there are good people out there,
Why hope is not lost, and
Why I can make a difference, even if it's small.

With all the things in the world, one may or may not understand
It kind of makes it seem like there's nothing worth contemplating.
But I think I should wonder anyways,
And learn to accept the fact that some things I'll never know.

I am afraid of rejection
I am afraid of failure
I am afraid that I may never be good enough
I am afraid that time will run out
I am even afraid of the person I know as myself

I am afraid of constant fighting
I am afraid of never waking up
I am afraid that I'll stay caught in a mental war
I am afraid that the world's attack won't stop
I am even afraid of what happens when there is no reason left to fight

I want to smile
I want to be understood
I want to make a difference
I want to be valued
I even want to be "normal" for once

I want success
I want love
I want to experience everything there is to feel
I want the everyone to be honest with themselves
And I even want the tribulations of what it means to be alive

I'm afraid of change, and yet I want it more than anything at all.

Hold on to love
Hold on to integrity
Even if the world is against you

Hold on to success
Hold on to triumph
Even if it seems rather small

Hold on to expression
Hold on to passion
Even if your heart's song quiets

Hold on to what is important
Hold on to what makes you happy
Even if what makes you sad surrounds you

And above all,
Hold on to yourself
Even when all you feel like is falling apart.

I used to believe that memories haunt you forever like a ghost
But now I think that they're more like a suitcase you've packed
I always try to take the pleasant recollections of the past with me
But I've never left a day without a negativity slipping in

I once packed my bag full of nasty little memories
And wore them every day
But that just isn't any way to live
If I could only know which ones were the best for me
I would take them wherever I go

I never believed that memories were anything but my own
But I might share a few to lessen the load
I know I can't always put the burden on someone else
Instead, I can accept the good and bad together as one
I won't throw away precious memories
But I may have to leave them behind

I used to believe that memories haunt you forever like a ghost
Now I know better.

B ring it all together
A lways breathe
L ace together past and future
A nd push through the present
N ever take yin without yang
C alm and collected
E verything works as one