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, breathe668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaIzfhFH9o
These are the lessons life taught me.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCUR9pgWLj
I am no one- or maybe everyone?668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHkkRwW7y5
Just dust blowing in the wind668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPFGk6Xf8B
Get up, brush off, make it home again668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEka8ld4FCS
Wake up, breathe668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCVfkoDsFeI
Hide. Don't show your face, your fears668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNUn4IQtnz
They watch you like hawks, eyeing their prey668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkp5f7GkNAB
They don't want you near668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7AMIqjE1a
Not enough room, you can't play668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwd10LX1aUV
They see you fall, laugh behind your back668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDCP3I4GVQ
They watch from afar668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClbAzn4JFE
Putting on a mask668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiItiWLCfL
Humor me; make me say the word "friends"668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQRaUkA17M
So let's play a game:668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEo7tI4K0t
One where I walk and fall, and stumble around668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKSzXSgXvn
Due to legs not quite right.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfjlI5SG8K
One where you say "oh, she's my friend!"668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhW5DxKqyxA
But wouldn't really care if I was dead.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32ckUOc0hc
I'm just a person to be nice to,668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNISk6F9yX
Because somewhere in that unsaid rule book of society668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXohughpG8z
It says you need to be nice.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45y1LMbJgi
Wake up, breathe668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAi6m06tzE
Get a couple scars - move on.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1g8kOHZfBa
Ride a horse, find that freedom you were yearning668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9z8eAfPLGD
Fall in love, realize it was never really meant to be.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvF6NuDAnTP
Love is always more complicated than it seems.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjukVzqf7hM
Break up, break a heart, fall back in line.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UQvbAFi71
Just another day in this life of rushing blood.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroUBonAVGp
Wake up, breathe668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyWrOdw7kU
Go back, learn how it all ends668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaxMekHK4t
With stabs in the back, rumors running flat, lies spun and undone668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GSfIyVwnD
And there is me, numb;668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp25HZCVdxc
Lost in a world that doesn't make any sense.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fKwbsaPDV
Scared to open her heart for fear of falling apart.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5kZprrR0K
For fear of being torn apart (again).668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHutGruzTb
Leave the familiar, move away668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2zE0IZQYj
Gain some independence, what you've always wanted.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXck3bkh2C
Wake up, breathe668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqZZdaA0l5
Know this is who you were meant to be.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIrrJttigg
Find a home in a God you were told about668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQCvC4f91f
But were losing faith in and weren't sure you believed668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8We9VReJY
Learn interpretation is key, and love is all that matters.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yMX9gwdqW
Find a way back to the road you once walked on668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfPozm4Onc
Make your own voice heard668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUyklOMq8J
These are lessons life taught me.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqDcVcizda
I'm still falling down, I'm still struggling668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkR7VC8pqpM
Under the weight of loneliness668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ240pNJ4ACJ
And a multitude of illnesses668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2B8f87hXR
Disabilities, and inconveniences.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDNBrsQdgu
But I woke up today, I breathed.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZ1DKS7UED
I'm alive today.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RP0f4FYFq
These are the lessons life taught me.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAHoyD2EcB
Not everyday is easy, but it's worth trying.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzwZctd5eW
Because now I know someday it gets better668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDq4hPN7PQx
I haven't found love668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbG3MRxkWab
Or even that one special friend.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8j2dMJhuHH
But someday I will.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8friJZ38bn
These are the lessons life taught me668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUkg61uZuaF
And this is a poem for those like me who lost their way.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCFEkMWpK9
With a battle leading with retreat;668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbFKVk0C4M
Those with their autoimmune diseases668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvhNx4XArV
Or cerebral palsy668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3fDbbfq9z
Or anything else668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PIYbCJLo9
That made it so life taught them a thing or two.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlk8XksbXl
Wake up, breathe668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hYzEgBI0k
For release isn't an option.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRalVhoDqDK
When down the road, there will be so much to live for.668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrB0b8CC1AC
So much to be here for, so many more life lessons to learn668Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1WJP3OoFs
And so much more to see.
