His hands are numb from
strangling the demons inside

Her hair
Like a black silk
It flows to her shoulders
And stops abruptly
Her eyes a brown like dark chocolate
Hidden behind rectangular glasses
Her face a yellow tan
Her hand on a keyboard
Typing up poems
I never could
Describing people
In a light of beauty
Telling stories
With unexplainable expression
She paints
With her heart
And draws
With her soul
She plays a piano
Like she speaks
Fluently
Proudly
And powerful
But it is not a matter of the things she can do
It is a matter of who she does them for
It is not a matter of how well she does them
But a matter of her trying
So I see her
And I do not envy her
Because it is enough to know her
That I don't want to be her

Dear Ashley,

          Congratulations! Your parents decided to give you one of the most popular names of the 90s! This is your letter of introduction to being Ashley! However, be informed that your name will not only be just "Ashley". Since it's very common, non-Ashleys will need to differentiate between all of you. You may be nicknamed "Ashley #2" or "Ashley Last Name Initial". Preparing yourself for embarrassment is also essential. Instructors will call out your name, resulting in either you pointing to yourself mouthing, Me? or managing to chirp a "Yes?" in unison with three others, only to feel stupid when it's not you. With a name so stale and boring, you may grow a hatred for it. You will fall in love with unique signatures, wishing they were your own. Over and over again, you will fantasize about changing it. Keep in mind that other Ashleys feel the same. At least you can be thankful you weren't named Frances.

                                                       ­                                   Sincerely,
                   ­                                                                 ­              Ashley

P.S. - Although, personalized key chains are easily accessible!

I hope
That she
Will not
Have to
Deal with
The burden
Of a trouble
I caused
I hope
That it
Will all
Be thrown
Unto me
So that
I have
To carry it

And then there was me
A **** up
A mistake
A pile of them in truth.
So why do I still try to stand tall
Try to keep my head up
When I know they can all see through it.
Why do I treat others bad
Make people feel like ****
When I know how much it *****.
Why do I bother with life
Why do I bother…

For when will you see me
When will anyone see me
The real me
The me that deserves to be seen
The me that hurts people
The me that hates people
The me that is always late because she barely has the motivation to get up
The me that has let go
The me that's tired all the time
The me that can't stand mirrors because she can't stand herself
The me that can't see beauty in the world
The me that only sees the pain
The me that has nervous ticks
The me that is terrified of almost everything
The me that pushes you away because she's afraid to cause you pain
The me that the world would hate
The me that the world should hate
The real me.

I wish upon stars
To keep you off my mind
And by the time it's day
The stars are gone
But my thoughts are not