Do whatever makes you happy





(Must be pre-approved by society. Terms and conditions apply)

Walk a tightrope as thin as a wire
Practice until your feet are on fire
Perform amazing feats, hear the applause
Smile and feel proud your life has a cause
Everyday I reach for the same thrill
Without it I just can’t feel fulfilled
If I’m not making people around me happy
Then what’s the point? My heart is empty

i sat with the company of an absent mind
and while my brother bent over paper,
his hands carefully making strokes with a pencil
i watched and heard my mother ask him,
"what are you writing?"
and i thought, "when will you ever ask me?"

when i was hunched over my chicken-scratch-filled
notebook, you didn't even bother looking.
when i proudly read the feelings i turned into words,
where was your question: "what are you writing?"

i think i just missed when back then she read my stories
and waved it at my father.
i think i miss the grins that came after.
i think i miss when i wrote and you'd
find my childish plot and still think it's great.

but ma, ive written 40 poems this year
and when im hunched over another
chicken-scratch-filled piece of paper,
i want to hear the question again -
"what are you writing?"

Walking Running sun down...Yes I'm Pursuing

Turn around Lock Eyes...I knew it

Drag me by my soul...Whisper in my ear

Tell me what's real

Birdbox
                by Amoy

I live on your social acceptance of me
You keep my face buried, my eyes blind and my mind occupied
You draw me in, I loose myself, trying to find myself
I can't hear the birds chirp, I can't see the sunrise
You are always here but yet I'm afraid and I’m alone
The happiest people living their "best lives" surrounds me
Telling me to see, telling me I need to be apart of it
Don't you want to be like me?
Live feeds, Status updates
Selfies, likes
Love me, don't scroll without a comment
Live streams, fake news, fake friends
Program-me, I need your feeds
It's not just a movie, it's real life get a clue

There are many sins I've committed in my time. I've exchanged hurtful words and I've lied. I've hurt others for my own betterment and I've stabbed others in the back. I thought it was fine and minimal to what others had done to me.

After all, how bad could I be when others had whipped me, threatened my life, beat me, broke my heart, and stabbed me in the back. Why did they deserve my mercy? Why did they deserve my forgiveness? Why did I have to be better than them?

They didn't deserve it. Why should I have to be a shining example? Why should I have to be above the rest? I didn't want that life, nor did I want that stress. Shining examples is what we're supposed to be, right?

Well, here's MY shining example. Don't keep pushing yourself for the approval of others. Their opinions don't matter anymore. Be yourself and stand up strong. You got a long road ahead of you, so find what makes you happy and do that. Don't ever try to change yourself for other's approval; That will just hurt you more.

And when they don't approve of you now that you've conformed to their standards? Then what? Are we just expected to move as if nothing's wrong and we're perfectly fine? And, what if we can't? We're not like a machine that functions without flaws; We're humans and have emotions and can be hurt.

We can still be hurt.

I published a children’s book
So that I could say I was a writer
Before then it was just
Scratches in my notebook
Notes in my phone
Conversations in my head

That first month
After the publishing
And the handling
The marketing
distributing

I had 18 cents
That said I can do this
And so I probably will