I am from a sad, superficial society
that needs me to try this cleanse or this new extensive workout
so that I could fit into a pair of double zero jeans,
But I am from tastebuds that love burgers way too much to ever listen

I am from a town
where everyone knows everyone
and weekends spent flaunting red solo cups are considered legendary,
but I am from a soul that aches for an adventure far, far away
from what I’ve called home for so long

I am from a heart
that has been torn apart countless times,
but still tries to put itself together
to give whatever it has left to the people around it

I am from a mother.
A mother who saw the cracks in the smile that I tried to paint ever so exquisitely,
took me in both arms and whispered in my ear,
“It’s okay not to be okay sometimes”
A mother whose smile shined so bright that it showed me that a tough day does not lead to
a tough life
A mother who is my light at the end of the tunnel

I am from a collection of vinyl records
stacked high along side my bed,
that I hum along to day in and day out
to drown out the sound of my own thoughts

I am from early morning Sunday breakfasts
where the smell of blueberry pancakes lingers around the entire house like a lost ghost

I am from the journal
that lays ever so loyally on a wobbly desk,
waiting to learn more about my hopes, fears, and dreams

I am from the words I write,
hiding- too afraid to be spoken.
But one day when the sun is shining a lot brighter,
my voice will become louder
my voice will become clearer
and my voice will be heard