I was never a lost boy
Traumatized by the event of you leaving me
I had always known what it was like to love someone enough to let them go
It’s no wonder why I always had a love for yo-yo’s
You see, they showed me that every time you would let them go
They would always come right back to you
I remember
The first time a girl fell in love with me
She told me that I was the closest thing to perfect
But she was not ready to be with me
I asked her what does it mean to be ready for love
You see, love does not hit you when you’re ready for it
Like you’re in a ring with professional boxers
Letting you spar with them
Though you will never be prepared for the first time
a haymaker to the jaw knocks you out cold
dazed and confused like you saw it coming but
didn’t know it would hurt this bad
I remember
The first time a girl fell in love with me
And made me feel like I didn’t love myself
You see, my father never taught me how to love a woman
I had to teach myself that kind of thing
Suddenly I lost my love for yo-yo’s
You see, I learned that I was bad at letting go
I would look into the mirror and see a boy
Who had never boxed a day in his life
But the bags and blisters under his eyes told stories
of fights that were almost won
but you should have seen the other guy’s face
no, these were stories of the times my yo-yo wouldn’t land back in my hand
instead it would hit me in the face
they can all see your scars, boy,
but don’t ever let them see your tears
was the only lesson my father taught me
I remember
The first time I fell in love with myself
I was in a room with no mirrors
And a box full of old yo-yo’s
With letters from all that took my love for granted
Including myself.


“for all that took my love for granted, including myself”

kaileb w.