Why

why do you let me dream my dream
when you want to take it away?
why do you let me live with hope
when you don't mean what you say?

your poisonous words have cut too deep
pain throbs and emanates from within
so i've built a fortress around my heart
so i can't go back to what has been

your solid chains have held me down
seemingly forever under your control
so i'm tired of living with your lies
so i'm tired of living without a soul

why can't i just find the courage
when my heart continues to yearn?
why can't i just break away
when i know that you'll never learn?

Maybe

maybe if i just give up now
and let fate control the reins
whatever happens, i accept
nothing feels worse than this pain

standing out here in the dark
forever lost, forever alone
no one dares to find me now
so i'll wait here, forever unknown

shattering into a million pieces
forever scarred, forever broken
no one dares to pick me up
so i'll wait here, forever unspoken

maybe if someone found her heart
and decided to reach out a hand
to leave a sign to lead me out
to let me go, but help me stand

Song of Myself: New Beginnings [Am Lit class assignment, 2008]

1

Swish! I am a ripple in the river, flowing with the current,

Ready to go wherever life takes me.

A star in the sky,

A raindrop in the air,

A leaf on a tree,

I am a spirit caught between many realms.

From the lush plants of spring,

To the sweltering days of summer,

To the painted leaves of fall,

To the chilly mornings of winter,

This suburban land is my home,

and now I am sixteen years of age.

Speaking out against what I believe to be untrue, I follow my own judgment.

I strive to be the perfect person, even though perfection is unobtainable.

Nonetheless, I continue to struggle against a law of life.

2

It is commonly asked, “What is life?” Astonished and shaking my head, I knew that infinite and indefinite answers existed.

Life is finding light during darkness. When obscured by doubt, be unafraid to leap.

Dare to take a chance,

But be ready to fall.

Life is listening to nature. Let nature call to you.

Let it whisper to your soul, let it run through your soul, let it fall through your soul.

Or it is about appreciating your life,

The fact that you are alive, that each day allows for another chance.

Your lungs are breathing, your heart is beating, your mind is thinking.

It is a miracle.

3

She is falling, falling, falling.

Desperate, dying, and dwindling, Mother Earth gasps in defeat.

All seems dark.

Her children, the forests, flowers, lakes, rivers, and animals, cry in agony.

Hope has been polluted.

Mother Earth is calling, calling, calling.

Man was placed on Earth,

Not to harm the environment,

But to protect it.

Yet we close our ears, eyes, minds, and hearts,

As we continue to exploit our greatest treasure.

It is time for change.

Let us reach out our hands,

And give back to the mother that gave us life.

4

Carried away on the wings of dreams,

Following whatever song my heart sings,

The future holds incredible potential,

Ready to be unlocked by my unsteady hands.

Future, I do not ask for much.

To make a difference, an impact, or even a footprint upon one’s heart,

Would allow me to arrive at my grave with a smile upon my face,

ready to return to the ageless land, where venerable figures rest in peace.

Forget about the past; do not shed tears for yesterday.

Tomorrow holds new promises,

Tomorrow is a new beginning.

Future, I am ready for you.