excellence in my bones,
my mind,
my skin,
i feel it pulsate
every moment of respiration, it’s refreshing
refreshing when i acknowledge it
i should formulate a pact of self love and try to honor it
but every time i do i end up breaking down and breaking it

a day at a time
intertwined through our sleep
i’ve always felt some worthlessness
even at my peak
stealing moments and smiles
bringing in tears
they fall on repeat
lately i’ve been speaking less
and sleeping more
trying to escape life’s venomous lore
embodied by the ups and downs and
ins and outs
that my body, mind and soul have
been left sore by

praying for the world as we progress through all this tragedy
it’s customary to this plot
i pray it doesn’t get the best of me
at times i contemplate on my life’s work and my excellence
in my bones, my mind, my skin,
to the latter
i hold highest reverence
contemplation padded with reminiscence
of the days i held acknowledgement
of my excellence in its entirety
until i do (if i ever will)
i’ll cry these tears to my diary
of poetry

— negassie