I look at someone else's poem
And I see flawlessness.
I look at my own
And I see nothing but flaws.
I write poetry to get away from the bad feelings.
Not to make more.
And it's hard.
Everything is hard.
I've become hard.
Hardened to the beauty of the world.
Hardened to the beauty of poetry.
All I can focus on is my own writing
As I try to be as good
As you.

People exchanging words
Poetic chats
Connecting them
To presents and pasts
Friendships grown
Over a screen
Words read
Known
Understood
And believed

you see me as broken
i see me as whole
but its just who i am
engraved in my soul

I lie awake remembering, wishing I could sleep to forget.