Alarm clock goes off at 5:45
I turn it off. Return to bed for a few more precious moments of sleep.
Get up. Get dressed. Brush teeth.
Get yelled at. Get stuff. Get in car.
Get to school.
Sit. Eat. Work.
Go to class. Wait.
Go to next class. Wait.
Go to lunch. Pretend.
Go to last class. Wait.
Go home.
Sit. Eat. Work.
Shower- soap. shampoo. rinse and repeat.
Wait for sleep to come.
Wait for the sun to rise again.
Repeat.

What would the world be like
if just for one day
no one pretended
no one hid
no one lashed out
no one lied
no one wanted
no one excluded
no one worried
no one ignored
no one hurt
no one expected
and everyone... simply was.

I would write
but the words have all been said before
I would sing
but I only sing the melodies of others
I would draw
but I cannot conjure images from my mind
I would dance
but I end up doing the same three moves
I would sleep
but it feels like giving up
I would run
but I don't have the strength
I would work
but instead I wait
I would live my own life
but I don't know how.

I always wanted a treehouse
somewhere to escape
to a world that might someday be
something like
those fantasy books I'd read.

A place where magical creatures might finally approach me
and take to me on an adventure
And my life would finally begin.

My dad and I built the treehouse
from remnants of an old porch
with a giant glass window
to look out from
and see the passing deer
the chirping birds
that one white tree in the distance

One day I heard noises
Looked into the backyard
Saw a group of boys jumping out of my treehouse
I thought it was locked.
Went back there
only to find the glass wall in shatters on the ground.

A new wall was built
out of wood
but by then I had outgrown the treehouse
and moved on to other dreams
that wouldn't live up to my expectations either.
But I keep on wishing.