from most of my peers.
Be open to different things.
Bumps in the road
may actually be
exactly the alteration
you need.
Change is inevitable,
but it is up to you
to grow with it
and make it as ideal
as you can.
I was the candle that stayed lit
even in the
d
o
w
n
pour of rain.
The flame, never getting weak
from outside pressure.
I will never decrease my fire
that everyone tries to put out.
They are just afraid the light
inside of me might destroy them.
My Path To You
In life,
you are given
paths to choose.
Some are perfectly paved
with flowers
and directions
at each bend.
Others have
overgrown grass
with dirt
and no definite map.
Each brings forth
adventures,
excitement,
or dead ends.
Follow each path
with passion
because you don’t know
where you could be lead.
Of all the paths
I have gone down
with bumps,
sharp turns,
dead ends,
and flowers,
my favorite was the one
that lead me to you.
Make a wish on a dandelion.
Blow your dreams into the wind.
The Universe will answer,
you just have to believe.
-thank you, Universe
Do you ever have that
feeling deep in your stomach
of worrying about having
to say hello and goodbye
to people as you pass?
Like there is no proper moment
to do so and that you might
stumble over your words.
Or what if they don’t
say anything back?
Or what if they are
overly friendly and
want to chat?
Or what if they laugh?
-social anxiety
Cleanse
You can wash the dirt off of your body,
watch as it flows down the drain.
You can wash out your mind
and watch the world
around you change.
Some things happen
in less obvious ways.
That doesn’t mean they
aren’t still happening.
You aren’t ugly
because you have some fat.
You aren’t pretty
because you show more bone.
You are more than just your shell.
You are your soul.
Surround yourself with people
who don’t just ask
how you are doing.
Surround yourself with people
who make an effort to
make sure they are part of
the reason you are doing so well.
Villian
Who told you to be quiet?
Who told you
the best place to be
was off in the corner of the room
as far away from
human interaction
as possible?
Who made you feel like
your words didn’t matter?
Who laughed at the thoughts that
you shared
after building up
the courage to speak?
I’m telling you to not be quiet.
Be loud and be known.
Talk to the people who seem
louder than you.
Share the thoughts dancing in
your brain with confidence
and ease.
Whoever told you
that you didn’t matter
and neither did your opinion,
I’m encouraging you
taking over that villain.
No More Silence
If you feel like you have to be silent,
let me be the first to say you don’t.
And if you want to be quiet,
let me be the first to say that is okay.
But, make sure your silence is your choice
and not because you are scared
of what your voice may say.
It’s the small steps
that guide you to
the biggest dreams.
You just have to
start walking.
Forgiveness
I used to hold grudges
like a child clinging to their mother
on the first day of kindergarten.
I couldn’t let them go.
The things people said to me
were stored in individual files
in my brain marked with their name.
The things I hate file bigger than
the things I love.
People piling up like scattered
notes on a desk.
The grudges I held becoming
a dark mess.
I started organizing my thoughts.
Filtering out the bad
and pouring in the good.
I learned that I just needed to
forgive and move on.
Even if the people who caused
my negative thoughts never know,
I no longer have a grudge against them,
because I had made forgiveness my home.
You say you want
to explore the world
but you have barely
explored yourself.
100%
You need to realize that
you deserve the best.
If the “love” you receive
is nothing but deception
and unpredictability,
only to be masked by your
wide eyes
and big heart,
please know you can leave.
Don’t use comfort as a reason to stay.
No relationship should ever be a
90/10 type of love.
Find someone who gives it their all
and matches your efforts.
Look at the relationship
you have right now.
If they aren’t giving their 100%,
it’s time for it to end.
Killing Fear
I used to be confined to the comfort,
of my house or bed.
The places I thought couldn’t hurt me,
where I hid instead.
From people who took too many glances,
or the chance of having actual fun.
Fear used to consume my whole body,
but I killed fear with freedom
and now fear and I are done.
I now use my bed for sleeping,
and my home as a quick stop
after a busy day.
My head creates thoughts of happiness
instead of playing the same scene over
and over in pain.
Spend time in your mind
with silence surrounding you.
Filter out all the outside
noise that is trying so hard
to change your direction.
You can have
one hundred friends
and still feel so alone
on your venture.
Strive for friends
who call you at midnight
on your birthday,
show up at your house
unexpectedly just to take you
out to lunch,
or let you cry to them
when you lose
an important person.
Have a group that will
run with you through
any season of life.
Stars
Out of all the stars,
you were the one he looked toward
at night.
Never knowing that to him, you shone
brighter than the rest.
Even if there was an overabundance
of bigger or brighter stars,
you were always the one his eyes fell to.
The light he trusted would guide him.
The one he searched for even on
the most overcast of evenings.
I bet if you didn’t spend time
comparing your qualities to the others,
you would have felt his eyes
always locked on you.
But remember, he is the one who
knew you shone,
even before you did yourself.
It’s Okay To Ask Why
I was envious of the
honor roll students
as I stared at my C’s.
I was the student
who needed to ask,
“what” or, “why”
instead of doing the
task with ease.
I later learned there is
nothing wrong with being
the student who raises
your hand with a question
instead of the answer.
Bad moods live dormant in
our bodies waiting for
outside influences to fuel
their intensity.
Learn to control
the flames so they
don’t spread like wildfire.
I have awakened my soul
in such a profound way,
that it takes a lot for me
to not get bored in mundane
conversations.
- soul searching
I spent too many years
allowing people
to pick me up
carelessly, and bruise me.
I am a fragile peach
who finally found someone who
will hold me with gentle hands.
Forgiving someone
who has never apologized
is the epitome of being
the bigger person.
Let go of the anger.
It will set you free.
Your monsters don’t get to live
eternally inside of you
if you put them to rest.
-lock them up, throw away the key
It is bittersweet to
put a friendship to rest
when the person once had a big
impact on your life,
but no longer supports
the person you are
blossoming into.
I promise you,
when you leave behind those
who bring negativity
into your life,
many positive friends will
come pouring in.
-out with the old, in with the new
Express Her Problems
She grew up thinking
strength meant not
being vulnerable.
Putting on her best poker face.
She fought the, “I love myself,
no, I hate myself” blues.
She never understood the people
who would cry at movies.
How could they dare show
such emotion in public?
Didn’t they know sobs like that
were meant only for their
pillow?
She thought she was strong
because she didn’t show her fears.
Didn’t talk about her problems.
Because, if she didn’t talk about
her issues, then they didn’t exist,
right?
That girl wasn’t strong.
She was broken
and torn, a bird slowly
having each feather plucked.
Soon she was going to crash and burn.
She didn’t need to bottle up the problems,
because problems weren’t meant
to be kept in her head.
One small shake of that bottle
and the explosion of emotions
will be unstoppable.
Pop the Champagne
I wasn’t meant to have a life
filled with 8 am wake-up calls
and 5 pm drives home
during rush hour.
I was meant to have
a life filled with
unexpected mornings that lead to
unforgettable nights.
And even if right now I eat cheap
take out three nights a week,
one day I will be toasting
with overpriced champagne
to a life I knew
I was meant to lead.
I was a people watcher.
Looking on with
eyes that longed
for the lives I was watching
unfold in front of me.
The lives that looked
so perfect on the surface.
But if I pushed back her
hair, I would see bruises
on her neck.
If I shifted my eyes to
the right, I would see
a boyfriend’s grip on her
extra tight.
And maybe she was looking
back at me,
with eyes that longed
to be where I stood.
Safe.
The problem with being
sentimental
is that the breakup
is only the beginning
of the hurt.
Replacing his sweatshirt
that you wore
on chilly days,
that smelled like
hugs and bar soap,
was like ripping out
another chunk of your heart.
But I promise you,
the next sweatshirt will
feel better,
smell better,
love better,
than the one before.
-you will find the one
I put my feet in the grass
and am thankful
to know it is green,
and soft but sometimes
burned by the sun and crunchy.
I am thankful to know
what it feels like to be
a living thing needing
so little,
to happily survive.
If I could,
I would dip my fingers
in the sun,
and smear its brightness
around the world.
-we need it
Wandering Soul
You have a wandering soul
that is searching for a place
to call home.
Flying with the wings of
your heart.
Looking for a location
to land on.
For an attentive spirit to
capture your bad thoughts
and turn them into
healthy ones.
But his arms spread wide open
aren’t a place to come in for
landing.
He wants to listen in order to
further his advantage
of getting into more than just
your mind.
Your wandering soul needs
to find a home within yourself.
Take time to rest and glide.
Letting People Go
It’s hard to let go of people.
We anchor ourselves to their flesh.
We grow to love their smile,
laugh, sense of humor,
and the familiarity
of their presence.
It’s not until we start to do the
l
ittle things that we feel the pain
of their absence.
Like late afternoon card games
with an empty seat,
lunches at the place you both loved
but can no longer enjoy,
and one-sided conversations
with them even though they have
a lot to say back.
A glimpse at life without them is sad.
But you know they don’t find home
here anymore,
so feel free to let their spirit fly.
They say, “you look amazing,”
but they can’t see inside your head.
-looks are deceiving
I hope one day you realize
the only enemy you should
give attention to
is the one inside your head.
-you are your own worst enemy
We get caught up in the idea
that the only way
we can be fully happy is
if our bodies look like
what we’ve always dreamt
for them to be.
But didn’t you ever hear
of all the people who go broke,
even after winning the lottery?
You can pluck me
like a dandelion and
hope I never come back.
But I always do.
-I am a beautiful weed
Have confidence in the shape
of your silhouette,
the thoughts you share,
and the blood in your veins.
The person picking apart
every little flaw
is not them,
it’s you.
-confidence is beautiful
Nailed
1 nail in each foot.
Pinning you in place.
No pivot,
no escape.
Take out your nails,
with the claws you enable.
The scars will heal.
Holes will be filled.