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, breathe974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlGvr2gMWi
These are the lessons life taught me.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgCNaM2fHd
I am no one- or maybe everyone?974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75zoaUXeFE
Just dust blowing in the wind974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOxeyW5ohS
Get up, brush off, make it home again974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZeCv3NNnU
Wake up, breathe974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QNxv391n2
Hide. Don't show your face, your fears974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VLk33tvuW
They watch you like hawks, eyeing their prey974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWOooK1S3N
They don't want you near974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPDxc8Blgb
Not enough room, you can't play974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaHFu4fcSN
They see you fall, laugh behind your back974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQuV5cpu9z
They watch from afar974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gNu6O7Ean
Putting on a mask974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEXCOL2W1q
Humor me; make me say the word "friends"974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cXwEV4meE
So let's play a game:974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmkzqUUzeC
One where I walk and fall, and stumble around974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTykpHDLje
Due to legs not quite right.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxx5zgazcYu
One where you say "oh, she's my friend!"974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQzjkseh4C
But wouldn't really care if I was dead.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrjTiYYqC8
I'm just a person to be nice to,974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iGpxvpZXv
Because somewhere in that unsaid rule book of society974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqPPgfAMc2
It says you need to be nice.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBoRd3wJCv2
Wake up, breathe974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnYjTsMwsm
Get a couple scars - move on.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNJ0G30G5b
Ride a horse, find that freedom you were yearning974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡed5LLICHEp
Fall in love, realize it was never really meant to be.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxIwnd7l5V
Love is always more complicated than it seems.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKiVsNji0U9
Break up, break a heart, fall back in line.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESOw6lSoBI
Just another day in this life of rushing blood.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0qZ7MqIJ2
Wake up, breathe974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFyTFBxhNT
Go back, learn how it all ends974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrzlGvnoEI
With stabs in the back, rumors running flat, lies spun and undone974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqA1VW8hdGX
And there is me, numb;974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1d4YVlAjdb
Lost in a world that doesn't make any sense.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTWWgzYxC3
Scared to open her heart for fear of falling apart.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjfk2pvTCY
For fear of being torn apart (again).974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBS3RElL5X
Leave the familiar, move away974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehABShvyDU
Gain some independence, what you've always wanted.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQkhYbqyU3
Wake up, breathe974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPmjbiCiHm
Know this is who you were meant to be.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcU9NoFwpJ2
Find a home in a God you were told about974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Wp6lbWmHe
But were losing faith in and weren't sure you believed974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRw8ZMYBCZt
Learn interpretation is key, and love is all that matters.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsOBUBIL4e
Find a way back to the road you once walked on974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjdMqZ5GCU
Make your own voice heard974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKChRlkdTY
These are lessons life taught me.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyQTw6LRJC
I'm still falling down, I'm still struggling974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDG2myiI8sN
Under the weight of loneliness974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ClAOHjUXG
And a multitude of illnesses974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWEfUNthbX
Disabilities, and inconveniences.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzS8CW4FYz
But I woke up today, I breathed.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQrCQc6j7O
I'm alive today.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkAoSkQhzJ
These are the lessons life taught me.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOMD5Khp8s
Not everyday is easy, but it's worth trying.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlorIShaYuH
Because now I know someday it gets better974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4kpJTd6Po
I haven't found love974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK21l4c6yG6
Or even that one special friend.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKUzpfOgs8
But someday I will.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBwwsPEByW
These are the lessons life taught me974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmePTcLSXTY
And this is a poem for those like me who lost their way.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu48t85CdLy
With a battle leading with retreat;974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnwyRVC2y4
Those with their autoimmune diseases974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6t6ZszXHf6
Or cerebral palsy974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLwf62sD33
Or anything else974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGRNzYmFJG
That made it so life taught them a thing or two.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIOOIDygCH
Wake up, breathe974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6EnHUcnhK
For release isn't an option.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kXecPKf46
When down the road, there will be so much to live for.974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6CdtcTr2D
So much to be here for, so many more life lessons to learn974Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPobMobQeze
And so much more to see.
and then Add to home screen.