Book smart with no common sense,
Genius with physical labor absent.
Can’t remember strenuous actions since,
Well…I guess there hasn’t been much of it.
They say brains and brawn are a good mix,
But what if you just have one or the other?
Pure brawn is overrated,
But I wouldn’t mind having them both together.
I can remember the lore of Star Wars,
But I couldn’t tell you how to change a tire.
Algebra two’s not that intense,
However, driving just makes me stressed and tired.
Isn’t it ironic that one can have straight A’s,
Yet, feel so incompetent?
Peers far surpass me,
And overlap me,
Still got to expand my toolkit,
And the trial and error that comes with it.
Book smart with no common sense,
But I could give you your change along with all your cents.
There’s a pressing question I need to overcome.
In the real world, is book smarts enough?
In the real world, will I function?
In the real world…can I overcome?

I’m the smart one,
They always say.
But I can’t spell February
Without whispering it under my breath.
It takes me five minutes.
To spell a word
And a whole day
to spell out what I need.

I don’t know how to do my taxes.
But I know how to call the pharmacy.
I know how to sit beside red,
Old and stubborn,
And blue,
Young and breaking.
I know how to translate pain
Into prescriptions,
How to smile when I want to scream
Into a pillowcase.

I’m only 21.

I want to kiss someone
because I like them,
Not because I’m running out of time.
I want to be drunk in a parking lot,
Laughing about nothing.
I want to have a boyfriend
And forget to text him back.
I want to dye my hair and regret it.

But they need me.

They say they’re fine—
But it’s 102 degrees inside
And I’m sticking to the floor.
If I stop moving,
I might melt.
I might disappear.

There’s only one of me.

I was supposed to be the baby.
Now I baby everyone else.
I rock the house to sleep
With grocery lists and gas bills.
No lullabies, just stopping an argument
No cartoons, just stopping a meltdown

I want
A life where I can be
Irresponsible.
Where I can be loud,
Messy, wrong.
Where I don’t have to be
Strong
To be loved.

I want a life that doesn’t only begin
After everyone else’s ends.

You all tell me I'm born smart.
How you can't take it to heart
When I tell
You to chill-- how I've done too well
To say
That 4 hours a day
Is enough.
How studying
Hasn't been
Rough or tough
For me.
How I should just let
You all get
More stressed without
Trying to tell you about
Just how hard I know
You've worked
And how much I've seen you grow.
How a good friend
Can't attempt to end
Your panicking.
How I'm not lacking
In the areas you
Do.
How I won't understand
Your parents' demands.

I get it.
I really do.
Why else would I be trying
To help you?

Maybe if you took
A step back from your books
Then you'd see
How it didn't all
Fall
In place for me.
How I've put in
The effort needed for a win.
How although I haven't spent
My nights studying, how time went
By in class;
Glass-
Glazed eyes from only staring
At the teachers as they walk past.
Not caring
About how much I carried
The team, just so
Everyone could go
Ahead for an A.
And how they
Never seemed to know
How long I spent in the glow
Of my computer screen.

I know you all don't mean
It. But I've worked hard too.
I do
Understand you.
You know,
In this scenario,
I don't think that I'm the friend
That doesn't comprehend
The stress that's sent you round the bend.

Sometimes, with a roll of the dice
A child receives a blessing that comes with a price
They can be born with the blessing of being smart
Yet in society, they'll always be apart
Who would've known that a bigger or stronger brain
Can make people think you're entirely insane
If you do one thing well in your prime
Then you'll be stuck doing that till the end of time
And if you ever try to quit
Why would you? You're good at it
There's so much pressure on you
That there's nothing you can look forward to
And if you get just one thing incorrect
There's something in your brain that needs to be checked
People will look up to you, but you're up there alone
Sitting down on your worthless diamond throne
And if you aren't better than only some
You're immediately characterized as dumb
Would you really want to feel so apart
Just so you could be a bit more smart?

If I went back to my past, would this all really last?
If I cherished all my days, would I still be chasing after grades?
Threw away my life and fell apart
Now all I have left is being smart
Is this the life I'd really choose, if I knew, I couldn't lose?
My whole life ruined from the beginning, but I can't stop that from me winning
And I've carried myself on this path called life, while bleeding out from an 8-inch-knife
So I will go where the wind refuses to blow
And soon I will see that no one can stop me
And I'm sorry if I made your life harder, but this whole time, I've just been your daughter
And even just one mistake will cause this thin ice to surely break
They'll glare at you when you're at your low
They'll glare at you from heat to snow
So you glare back at them like a shattered mirror
So you glare at all the things you once held dear

Trust in the earth
And the grass
And the dirt
And the trees
Trust in lakes
And the land
And the air that you breath
Trust your mind
And the heart
And the brain
And the pain
Trust in time
And the space
And the life
And the flame
Trust in success
And in failure
And in loss
And in gain
Trust in experience
And what made you
Who you are today
Trust in trust
And in truth
And in good
And in right
Don’t ever mistrust
That you’re wrong
In your fight
Trust your words
And your thoughts
And your prayers
And your faith
Trust in math
And consequence
And in science
And in fate
Be who you are
And trust that you will
Be who you are
Until you are filled
With love
And with life
And with joy
Oh it’s great
Be who you are
Till you meet the wraith

"Am I evil?"
Worse,
Youre smart
When you know
Nothing matters
The universe
Is yours
And I've never
Met a universe
That was
Into it

It grazes on
The ordinary
Creating infinite
Idiots just to
Eat them all

Put a saddle on
Your universe
Let it kick
Itself out
It'll never stop
Trying to throw you

And eventually
It will
There's no
Other way off

sitting across from you in this quiet library
while we do homework,
i look at you and wonder-
how did i get so lucky to be loved by you?
6 months ago you asked me out.
6 months of pure happiness and love,
6 months of never once questioning if you do love me,
only knowing that you do.
and now, we look forward to the rest of our lives,
together.
loving someone has never been easier,
it's like second nature,
as simple and innate as breathing.
your fluffy brown curls,
stunning hazel eyes,
and adorable silver and navy glasses;
unparalleled intelligence,
kindness, goofiness, dorkiness,
lovability- my golden retriever boy.
you always take care of me,
especially when my adhd and anxiety get bad,
and i always take care of you,
especially when you're tired and dehydrated.
i love you