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, breathe721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1J2p4x2j9
These are the lessons life taught me.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReuDTkvHUD
I am no one- or maybe everyone?721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90g3vGC49p
Just dust blowing in the wind721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXIAXuuYNP
Get up, brush off, make it home again721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GkswkZM1Q
Wake up, breathe721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ030i0gsEYR
Hide. Don't show your face, your fears721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuznJ6jtEpD
They watch you like hawks, eyeing their prey721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZzDFXuzVW
They don't want you near721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2psLhChbkE
Not enough room, you can't play721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgiedQ2Nxbw
They see you fall, laugh behind your back721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNK87o21tv
They watch from afar721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsYZEk3m8s
Putting on a mask721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaNhk3RPwn
Humor me; make me say the word "friends"721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNDCNNOl5l
So let's play a game:721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMhl97WQJl
One where I walk and fall, and stumble around721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTRHp8ZxLc
Due to legs not quite right.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbeCxpY3ZD
One where you say "oh, she's my friend!"721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagd8vWzUKB
But wouldn't really care if I was dead.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSNnXdVxCG
I'm just a person to be nice to,721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2BGqcYSon
Because somewhere in that unsaid rule book of society721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbbbzT50fm
It says you need to be nice.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNzREuQW3s
Wake up, breathe721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UmGqR3o9I
Get a couple scars - move on.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5J7MZLXlu
Ride a horse, find that freedom you were yearning721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14ejyiACtw
Fall in love, realize it was never really meant to be.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2n4ic3Dqy
Love is always more complicated than it seems.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3maIT1QEP
Break up, break a heart, fall back in line.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBv3vc3W5vC
Just another day in this life of rushing blood.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOywCKaLVF
Wake up, breathe721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAboJGq8egO
Go back, learn how it all ends721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoecVDDjtHW
With stabs in the back, rumors running flat, lies spun and undone721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGllOyzmtF
And there is me, numb;721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gz3UFMDYc
Lost in a world that doesn't make any sense.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnL2lU5ohv1
Scared to open her heart for fear of falling apart.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiN3svcDtSG
For fear of being torn apart (again).721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkeYi4011O
Leave the familiar, move away721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqnhUTtrXb
Gain some independence, what you've always wanted.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEr3dHFa3GG
Wake up, breathe721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTufOR1kvL4
Know this is who you were meant to be.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlgdKrpfHe
Find a home in a God you were told about721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhkDtJ14e7
But were losing faith in and weren't sure you believed721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByp5AnUVAa
Learn interpretation is key, and love is all that matters.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCu1Peb1aTq
Find a way back to the road you once walked on721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5RRWzyITT
Make your own voice heard721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgb6PniRS64
These are lessons life taught me.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBQz8UbWA1
I'm still falling down, I'm still struggling721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnwUSQYzvn
Under the weight of loneliness721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0DzorHFhr
And a multitude of illnesses721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjEIBWDApW
Disabilities, and inconveniences.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnr8Lv7L7vj
But I woke up today, I breathed.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEOw4maefL
I'm alive today.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSMwWvph6J
These are the lessons life taught me.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfzVAyPjX9
Not everyday is easy, but it's worth trying.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPPKINW6js
Because now I know someday it gets better721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7wJNeWpJay
I haven't found love721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Q4VT9B0zj
Or even that one special friend.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDG14xIBUC
But someday I will.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprMiadh1Vn
These are the lessons life taught me721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVHyjskETu
And this is a poem for those like me who lost their way.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSly63KYmw6
With a battle leading with retreat;721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9mAD5SKBp
Those with their autoimmune diseases721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSGbIUWiwS
Or cerebral palsy721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsfUel3q2i
Or anything else721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqo4h186Gl1
That made it so life taught them a thing or two.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmvDVD33ov
Wake up, breathe721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXH3WgF5rJv
For release isn't an option.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBPPYoc2Xu
When down the road, there will be so much to live for.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfF5MeidHF
So much to be here for, so many more life lessons to learn721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIeY8pyDTG
And so much more to see.
