sometimes i don't want you
to be kind to everyone
to adapt to adjust
to like everything

you're as lovely as a doll
as plain as a canvas
don't let people paint
anything the want on you

when you asked
"what do you want?"
your heart doesn't answer anymore
you've silenced it for too long

be honest with me
let the tears out
take off your mask
you can rest now

why don't we give
the best for ourselves?
why don't we put
the silver spoon
in our own mouths
and then live
the ******* life
we ever wanted?

And she gently took her chin in her hand and raised it until their eyes met
And soft whispers left her lips—

I love you.
When you can’t see through the darkness, I love you
When the stars fill your heart with wonder, I love you
Even when the clouds won’t stop pouring, I love you
I love you.
When winter’s lingering ice burns you, I love you
When you’re a ravaging tornado of passion, I love you
Even when you can’t get out of bed, I love you
I love you.
When you miss the good old days, I love you
When the world races by at warp speed and you can’t breathe, I love you
Even when you can’t— I love you
I’m here
I love you
As you are— yesterday, today, tomorrow…
I love you.

i want someone to notice the way i laugh at the wrong parts of movies
and know what weird thought i had about the scene
to hold my hand and kiss my dimple and write about how witty i am
we can joke about it every time we rewatch it

i want someone to read to me under a fading sky in the wintertime
as our breath curls around our throats and it's hard to keep their voice steady
but the words are pretty, and so are their fingers as they wrap around my hair
sylvia plath for the darker days,
robert frost when the sun starts peeking through

i want someone who will dye my hair in shades of pink and green
our noses curling at the scent of the overwhelming bleach
laughing hysterically as we get high on the fumes and try to be quiet when we hear my mom's footsteps outside the bathroom
i'll cut their bangs choppy to match

i want someone who will sing duets with me to a blown out car stereo
as we drive aimlessly through the nights of this ghost-town-to-be
i'll steal the aux cord more than once, and mess with the windows like a kid
but they'll tolerate it because they like the wind
almost as much as they like me

i want someone to dance with me in the rain like we're in a bad romance novel
and enjoy it anyway because it smells like promises (and i keep those)
we can waltz badly and laugh until it hurts to laugh, and then we'll just sway
i'll splash them with puddles and they'll splash back harder
and we can ditch our clothes and get hypothermia together

maybe one day i'll want them enough to have them

but for now i'll watch movies by myself and still laugh at all the wrong parts, knowing that i'm weirdly clever

i'll read poetry in my own voice under the grey sky cut open by leafless branches, because it's pretty

i'll dye my own hair and cut my own choppy bangs and i'll feel untouchable

i'll scream 'bohemian rhapsody' by myself driving down main street in the middle of the night

and i'll just wait for it to rain so i can catch in my mouth and pretend it was a kiss from the sky

sparklers are for the people who
love more
than they could ever
be loved in return,
for the ones who
exhaust
extinguish
their own light for others
to only appreciate them
for a moment and then
be forgotten,
for those who run out in rainstorms
for people who won’t even
stay with them in the sunshine,
for the ones who wait until
everyone around them is shining before they
ignite their light and glow.
but you can’t live by just
borrowing love for an instant or
living with the
ashes of other’s achievements;
you die a fresh death every time you listen to
those voices
that crash down on you like hail until
you’re too numb to move
you’re too over it to try
you’re too cold to ignite
at all.

dear basil,

watch the sunrise
remember how lucky you are to see it
smell the morning air
keep it in your lungs because you can
water your plants
show them unconditional love

love yourself unconditionally
because you're lucky, because you can

love,
basil

Oh dare be the happy girl
Go soar the world with glee
And never fear the things they say
For rich in life you’ll be

And don’t you know the happy girl
Is prettiest by far?
***’ all her imperfections
Are just kisses from a star

The happy girl will never age
Those sunspots on her cheeks
Are badges from the mountain tops
And hot Havana weeks

You’ll love to be the happy girl
The stories of a muse
Are preciously adorning her
In form of scars and bruise

When you become the happy girl
You’ll love yourself so well
That everyone will love you too
Because it’s clear to tell

The happy girl knows how to play
Might find her in a tree
Or beaches combed for shells and teeth
or dancing near the sea

I challenge you, the happy girl
Although I never could
I hope you’ll sail much farther than
The sad girl ever would

You see me now don't you?
You see a girl who's struggling harder than ever
But you also see a girl who's the strongest she's ever been
You see a girl who has worked on herself
And is still working
Getting rid of bad habits
And replacing them with new, better ones
A girl who can set boundaries
A girl who can say no
A girl who may be struggling with death
But is still choosing to fight her hardest to stay
You didn't think I could change
But here I am
The girl of your dreams slowly emerging
Flawed, but willing to invest in herself
It's amazing isn't it?
How you never thought I could change
But here I am blowing your mind