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, breathe737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlMUnttA55
These are the lessons life taught me.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3DCF5uuOL
I am no one- or maybe everyone?737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ID0brq7RR
Just dust blowing in the wind737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DtrEQ1VDB
Get up, brush off, make it home again737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAfhPb8Wm8
Wake up, breathe737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UnBrfDr1j
Hide. Don't show your face, your fears737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7BQQ3oRRT
They watch you like hawks, eyeing their prey737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXE0PDG6zO
They don't want you near737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cSFh4ewtS
Not enough room, you can't play737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5dXMzw985M
They see you fall, laugh behind your back737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTySIK3pEWC
They watch from afar737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4k6I20kClP
Putting on a mask737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGYvsn2Ue7
Humor me; make me say the word "friends"737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNUsbyglFE
So let's play a game:737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrXHhiH3w8
One where I walk and fall, and stumble around737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VIhCmg90L
Due to legs not quite right.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZ7M2qrPMm
One where you say "oh, she's my friend!"737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8olvArp69
But wouldn't really care if I was dead.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxaqskSnBB
I'm just a person to be nice to,737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJdfLM3Qki
Because somewhere in that unsaid rule book of society737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpICXqj0GGJ
It says you need to be nice.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhir9zS6jYW
Wake up, breathe737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRSXkbhsLk
Get a couple scars - move on.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3SHaE9xna
Ride a horse, find that freedom you were yearning737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvMY99uodh
Fall in love, realize it was never really meant to be.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1Mq4czOwn
Love is always more complicated than it seems.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHpRg9Sb76
Break up, break a heart, fall back in line.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡah9azvMYON
Just another day in this life of rushing blood.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeShP2Q5oJi
Wake up, breathe737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7shfCkwGl
Go back, learn how it all ends737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hPRwq9ABA
With stabs in the back, rumors running flat, lies spun and undone737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsntmr1CdAr
And there is me, numb;737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtzyWgcOm3
Lost in a world that doesn't make any sense.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZe7cGfc9H
Scared to open her heart for fear of falling apart.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzZDNswFf9
For fear of being torn apart (again).737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUT0P3wt76f
Leave the familiar, move away737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fEm1QFYKG
Gain some independence, what you've always wanted.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8mEsg1qpO
Wake up, breathe737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZWLUVMZL7
Know this is who you were meant to be.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IXlINARv6
Find a home in a God you were told about737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStHkiSUard
But were losing faith in and weren't sure you believed737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0a1ksARE5
Learn interpretation is key, and love is all that matters.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLwgIAoU6K
Find a way back to the road you once walked on737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0RmVgawxY
Make your own voice heard737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvAdpUBPdE
These are lessons life taught me.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGPnm8nYQm
I'm still falling down, I'm still struggling737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFJQbIEKeu
Under the weight of loneliness737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8bQuuh54S
And a multitude of illnesses737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBvDQfeu5LG
Disabilities, and inconveniences.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUQdtEmL9a
But I woke up today, I breathed.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYDA50Sr4g
I'm alive today.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgsnGqw7kc
These are the lessons life taught me.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQd0z16Fj5C
Not everyday is easy, but it's worth trying.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVayg79BeyX
Because now I know someday it gets better737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7Yk504bxW
I haven't found love737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcl7iB4Wul
Or even that one special friend.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZ1KpN9HHS
But someday I will.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegUG1DfgYh
These are the lessons life taught me737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOI1IqA3eOi
And this is a poem for those like me who lost their way.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyROB9tJNe
With a battle leading with retreat;737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMgR5ublHj
Those with their autoimmune diseases737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSqBmDfQap
Or cerebral palsy737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8JutKFfVXp
Or anything else737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsB4zAPesYi
That made it so life taught them a thing or two.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPF2MtUmXh
Wake up, breathe737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5HHF6jIEv
For release isn't an option.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfdwQ0Ug5G
When down the road, there will be so much to live for.737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlgNlTBBjs
So much to be here for, so many more life lessons to learn737Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGWnHvYrQZ
And so much more to see.
