Rain beats outside my window
The only sound lulling me to sleep
In this dark, cute apartment
I wonder how I might earn my keep

The black shadows hold me close
Keeping me warm when the night burns cold
I create to show my strength
Before my young skin becomes too old

How might the world observe me
When I emerge from this tight cocoon
With a laundry list of dreams
And no history of silver spoons

The light tells me to be brave
Because the dark won't last forever
My journey has just begun
With no ties left for me to sever

I'm tired.
Tired of
The same draining thoughts
Tired of
The same back and forth
Hatred then compassion
Tired of
Knowing what's right
And still doing what's wrong
Tired of
Beating myself up
For what's out of my control
Tired of
Mistaking clouds
As bad omens
Tired of
Telling myself it's okay
Just relax, you're okay
I'm tired of
Not writing poems
To make myself feel better

I'm just
tired.
So I guess I'll sleep.

I thought you died
Disappearing like a ship in the night
No trace of you
Just a note saying goodbye
Then you appeared
Like some kind of magic trick
And everything was okay
You said you just went away for a little while
And I was angry
And sad
And elated that you returned to me
That you didn't end your life in the company of no one
That we could rebuild and restart
And you embrace me and tell me that you're sorry
And I tell you it's okay, I just thought you died
So we leave it behind us and move forward together
Both alive.

Then I woke up.

Language is so beautiful
So strong
The most powerful thing a person has
Is their words
The ones they speak
The way they say them
When they say them
The ones they keep hidden
Words have the power to change minds
They have the finesse to draw out emotions
They have the ability to flip the world upside down
Or right side up
Words are like candy
They can be sweet
Or sour
They are like the sky
Stormy
Or clear
Words can eat you up from the inside
Or destroy you from the outside
There is nothing more simple yet potent that exists
Words rule the world
So choose yours carefully

Every day and night

I fight for my life.

So every morning,

I can be proud

That I succeeded at something.