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, breathe707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkSfi4iCZV
These are the lessons life taught me.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjaZVrT8Fj
I am no one- or maybe everyone?707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqQBJrIUxN
Just dust blowing in the wind707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNrBueDLIL
Get up, brush off, make it home again707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhIJ9uFpgC
Wake up, breathe707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDN7GMaU5w
Hide. Don't show your face, your fears707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqV30ZIJt3P
They watch you like hawks, eyeing their prey707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAZsyb8oz3
They don't want you near707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfBBPO6doz
Not enough room, you can't play707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡte3qVMpMLh
They see you fall, laugh behind your back707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhBUN42qN4
They watch from afar707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8IDzmitot
Putting on a mask707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdIzpTqBU8
Humor me; make me say the word "friends"707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMurskXraQm
So let's play a game:707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLaZVL5Nujl
One where I walk and fall, and stumble around707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgRmMKx1eG
Due to legs not quite right.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjToAtB7sJT
One where you say "oh, she's my friend!"707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIjYflnzk4
But wouldn't really care if I was dead.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0WyHz9xVt
I'm just a person to be nice to,707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6gzcEmdOv
Because somewhere in that unsaid rule book of society707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjz0J4b3VaX
It says you need to be nice.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafzprsPfPk
Wake up, breathe707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctrJsRWvSM
Get a couple scars - move on.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rpqInqAVC
Ride a horse, find that freedom you were yearning707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7Svn9pamS
Fall in love, realize it was never really meant to be.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0uHg96Xja
Love is always more complicated than it seems.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2NDxO5oxv
Break up, break a heart, fall back in line.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OMTqeavkE
Just another day in this life of rushing blood.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvr3fOWNJ0
Wake up, breathe707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyYw9OIjRB
Go back, learn how it all ends707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZCbda35Du
With stabs in the back, rumors running flat, lies spun and undone707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6eWd9jKk6
And there is me, numb;707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9NbbvNuLi
Lost in a world that doesn't make any sense.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0xtlUWnwO
Scared to open her heart for fear of falling apart.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0OnEUUkf5
For fear of being torn apart (again).707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWI9nLkyKW
Leave the familiar, move away707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPt083hLU33
Gain some independence, what you've always wanted.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQ2ZQhDK0O
Wake up, breathe707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKqAvE22Kr
Know this is who you were meant to be.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0aRdk9QTj
Find a home in a God you were told about707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkoSxIPwZ6
But were losing faith in and weren't sure you believed707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBW5LX80uc
Learn interpretation is key, and love is all that matters.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMr83EnWIX
Find a way back to the road you once walked on707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuncOd9io92
Make your own voice heard707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡky2GMyY95Y
These are lessons life taught me.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4AL4cCkxO
I'm still falling down, I'm still struggling707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZf0QD4lqg
Under the weight of loneliness707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDeiBtwrV2d
And a multitude of illnesses707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8jdSsNLLs
Disabilities, and inconveniences.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsKmwTP34s
But I woke up today, I breathed.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwjtJB5NbE
I'm alive today.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8TKuRxyw7
These are the lessons life taught me.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7BcKp7Z3k
Not everyday is easy, but it's worth trying.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWoWK1noZdf
Because now I know someday it gets better707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtnTXZav4c
I haven't found love707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgS9qyTuObD
Or even that one special friend.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAqDxWAQm9
But someday I will.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpT17enuwGN
These are the lessons life taught me707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtB0uGCWTtu
And this is a poem for those like me who lost their way.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiD88qVSi5h
With a battle leading with retreat;707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkR1BRa4j2J
Those with their autoimmune diseases707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByo9JFuwoB
Or cerebral palsy707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIYOJCL3rX
Or anything else707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKBigPVB4T
That made it so life taught them a thing or two.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlO8LF2sabr
Wake up, breathe707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUopFjI5pvU
For release isn't an option.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6jdaPF3g0v
When down the road, there will be so much to live for.707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi75azVxvyD
So much to be here for, so many more life lessons to learn707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eZf610tiY
And so much more to see.
