Things I don’t want: To be a someone’s project. A missionary’s quest for redemption and salvation from their depts owed to their universe Things I don’t want: To be imperfect. To have my mask ripped from my hands And reveal the cracks across a face of China The scars I’m trying so desperately to heal Things I don’t want: Feelings. Feelings of abandonment, distrust, insecurity Things I don’t want: Feelings. Feelings that are too sincere Because sincerity is subjective and unreliable Things I don’t want: More nightmares The kind that happen wherever you sit or stand That cloud your eyes and make your head hurt That can follow you like a fog throughout the day, and week, and month Things I don’t want: More tears And pain That you can’t find to blame on anyone but yourself For getting your hopes up again Even when you know from your past you shouldn’t Things I don’t want: To travel backwards Into a place I hoped I’d never go back to again Because it was too dark And draining And I don’t have that energy to spare again Things I don’t want: More sad poems Because sad poems mean you’re sad in real life And not just on the lines of a piece of paper And I just want to be happy