This poem was originally written as a college spoken word poem for an art showcase night. Though it is not officially part of the In Isolation project, I did re-work this poem and get it back on to my laptop while in this quarantine, so I am publishing it here.
Wake up, breathe646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaHxx8tuh2
These are the lessons life taught me.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaZtNRUvu9
I am no one- or maybe everyone?646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzF3OXUpRg
Just dust blowing in the wind646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwSz9NXAnh
Get up, brush off, make it home again646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGskICIBDo
Wake up, breathe646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVotYaFUZXy
Hide. Don't show your face, your fears646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQsrdwiejp
They watch you like hawks, eyeing their prey646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU28VqDR1cQ
They don't want you near646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfS4DGQAG0q
Not enough room, you can't play646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uZda9lPEz
They see you fall, laugh behind your back646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60bdYmjrqQ
They watch from afar646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0SVLGnW99
Putting on a mask646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoU7mWyJiR
Humor me; make me say the word "friends"646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡof75BYHHZp
So let's play a game:646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMxi5pEFqm
One where I walk and fall, and stumble around646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hjfgF0XhJ
Due to legs not quite right.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLzIVZqWg9
One where you say "oh, she's my friend!"646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lzk5w4Ul0
But wouldn't really care if I was dead.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANEq90eqbk
I'm just a person to be nice to,646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQA9XMh3Njg
Because somewhere in that unsaid rule book of society646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyOfld9Cz7
It says you need to be nice.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6Cehm3R84
Wake up, breathe646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIRCPf7tny
Get a couple scars - move on.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80IP8y3Jeo
Ride a horse, find that freedom you were yearning646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgIIxHHZAA
Fall in love, realize it was never really meant to be.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx09OMmYOzc
Love is always more complicated than it seems.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVfB1JpyZK
Break up, break a heart, fall back in line.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRFF1KM2Mv
Just another day in this life of rushing blood.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qIyJKULpf
Wake up, breathe646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xIdBHCtdJ
Go back, learn how it all ends646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjmQxamwk5
With stabs in the back, rumors running flat, lies spun and undone646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5DtqmXdw1
And there is me, numb;646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHEkdmhMEG
Lost in a world that doesn't make any sense.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdghuded8g
Scared to open her heart for fear of falling apart.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vyvdfjknr
For fear of being torn apart (again).646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdjecuwhKK
Leave the familiar, move away646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeBAV4uf6n
Gain some independence, what you've always wanted.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyqu6fhtg1
Wake up, breathe646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKLl4sTXSF
Know this is who you were meant to be.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKk4hIml0R
Find a home in a God you were told about646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08in4A6tUl
But were losing faith in and weren't sure you believed646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCuhxPYdDU
Learn interpretation is key, and love is all that matters.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPvQWuDklh
Find a way back to the road you once walked on646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2j4zmCsMwn
Make your own voice heard646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNN3D0ywUf
These are lessons life taught me.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26zwTv4wOo
I'm still falling down, I'm still struggling646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKrs45fdOF
Under the weight of loneliness646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97YZ5Dfe99
And a multitude of illnesses646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFKe0JCCvf
Disabilities, and inconveniences.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54gqLCo3oe
But I woke up today, I breathed.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHzjw2LNt4
I'm alive today.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTUf9ymeQ9
These are the lessons life taught me.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwU97yyZUYU
Not everyday is easy, but it's worth trying.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp69ECnRHo8
Because now I know someday it gets better646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudMdiFfBPw
I haven't found love646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHr7lH6CxJc
Or even that one special friend.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0fseqYp5c
But someday I will.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTlmNUtkVq
These are the lessons life taught me646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglPLUKb0ME
And this is a poem for those like me who lost their way.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2R41CjA5G
With a battle leading with retreat;646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeeS7AsrRj
Those with their autoimmune diseases646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysOGZGDbAH
Or cerebral palsy646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCIpvN91W9
Or anything else646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGFEwYyuxC
That made it so life taught them a thing or two.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaP9gInZAs5
Wake up, breathe646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflqaNo5s8W
For release isn't an option.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltwJTxh8dv
When down the road, there will be so much to live for.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NRhZXuTxF
So much to be here for, so many more life lessons to learn646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxChsA3jo0O
And so much more to see.
