For those of you who don’t already know, allow me to introduce myself

I am… nobody in particular
I am the scent of rice and fried plantain on a Sunday afternoon
I am the cannabis vapors that fumigate my lungs
I am every second of sleep I use to shield myself from the harshness of a day
I am a constellation of mistakes, regrets and moments I’ve spent too many hours over-analyzing
I am unafraid of isolation and the thought of this frightens me
I am never allowed to be my true self
I am the victim of the vices that I design
I’m too white for the kids in school but just black enough for the barrel of a cop’s gun
I am the stone that the builder never got around to
I am so liberated that sometimes it feels like the biggest cage of all
I am the cool contempt behind every text that I’ve left on read and the fiery passion I felt for the one who never responded
I am self-confidence and self-consciousness
I am fear
I am ferocity
I am to be continued