Why do you stay in your room?
Everyone’s waiting for you
The whole family’s here
Why not say hello?
To answer these questions dear mother
My family put me on a pedestal
So high I can’t see the ground
Why can you be like your sister?
They ask my brother
Why can’t you be like your cousin?
They ask my cousin
They all resent me now
Because of me they never seem good enough
But the worst part?
None of it’s true
They say I study
I don’t
They say I’m a straight A student
I’m not
They say I’m not addicted to my phone
What a lie
They say it’s amazing that I love to read
Have you ever asked what my eyes trace across pages
No you haven’t
Have you ever wondered why I’m always sad
“Your life is wonderful”
“It must be those sad books you read”
“You have no reason
Reason
Reason
To be sad”
But then they all turn on me
One second too long on my phone
A tear sliding down my cheek

The higher I am on my pedestal
The harder it hurts when I fall