I can see ghosts.
people who were once
beautiful.
successful.
happy.
with smiles.
friends.
love.
a soul.
dreaming dreams.
planning futures.

now they're only a shell.
a ghost.
a dead memory.
life killed them.
they died from a disease
called expectations.
people told them
they had to act a certain way.
look a certain way.
think a certain way.
act.
look.
think.
"without them,
you are nothing."

expectations came on slowly.
as children,
they were healthy.
beautiful.
successful.
happy.
with smiles.
friends.
love.
a soul.
dreaming dreams.
planning futures.

slowly
they were told
"wrong.
you act wrong.
you think wrong.
you think wrong.
without these,
you are nothing.

and so they tried.
tried.
and tried.
meeting expectations.
acting.
looking.
thinking.
they weren't nothing.
they still had smiles.
friends.
love.
a soul.

and soon,
acting,
looking,
and thinking
made them weak.
they grew sicker.
they had empty eyes.
fake smiles.
fake friends.
no love.
no soul.

they were told,
"friends are they only thing
that make you something.
the right friends.
you only get friends
if you smile.
act right.
look right.
think right.
never be sad.
never be weak.
never be afraid.
without this,
you are nothing.”

nothing
was not something they could afford to become.
but they were
becoming nothing.
they lost
smiles.
friends.
love.
their souls.
they were no longer
beautiful.
successful.
happy.
they were becoming
a shell.
a ghost.
a dead memory.
fearing those who told them
“act right.
think right.
look right.”
and without these,
they were nothing.

i can see them.
they’re ghosts now.
sad.
weak.
afraid.
lifeless.
empty.
killed by the disease
called expectations.

rest well, friends.
you’re free now.