A boy walks down the hall
a little too much sway
to his step
And I think to myself
“your nose is stuck up way too high”

Yet, I don’t say anything
Until later that day

when I see a girl
flipping her hair too often
popping her gum to loud
and I whisper
“you’re not everything”

Yet, she doesn’t hear, like everyone else
Until later that day

As I see the boy and the girl
facing the corner
looking down on the floor.
through their legs
I see another person cower with fear

And I shout
“You need to stop acting
like you’re better than you are”
And they turn around
my mind buzzes
and I shout
“who do you think you are?”

And they stand still
eyes blinking a little too often
and, yes, I may be
a little too judgmental
but they have no excuse; no answer

So, I step forward
“You act as if you’re everything in this world”
I continue
“But you’re nothing.
The president doesn't know you;
the newsman doesn't know you”

I pause, Studying the girl
that remains on the floor
I hold my hand out, helping her up.
“And pardon my integrity,
but I don’t think you even know you.”

And at that, I walk away
leaving the boy
with a little too much sway to his step
and the girl
who pops her gum to loud
to stare at our backs
as I leave them with their victim at my side.

And, pardon my integrity,
but the victim seems to know herself
better than the people behind us
because, as she leaves me
she says
“I can’t pardon your integrity,
because I can’t pardon the truth”

“I don’t know who I am.”
Yet, that comment proves she does