life is a whirlpool system
as a vortex, maelstrom

a boy moves through schools like shifting tides

i embrace cities only to leave prematurely

new faces, new places, new personality

he has lived a million lives, each a chapter of my never ending life

lonely highways and unfamiliar halls

beneath the surface, a boy struggles to cope

self inflicted ridges on my thighs, as numerous as

mountains i have climbed

a boy doesn’t desire “love,” for he has it

doesn’t desire “acceptance,” for he wants to stand out

doesn’t desire “praise,” for his writing is broken

it is smashed, shriveled, and shattered

indeed it flows, it overflows

books and notebooks bear witness to his pain

amidst the tsunami of life

his writing has stayed the same

a boy pleads for help, many come

none could stay

how could they

the hurricane has pulled them apart from me

so he lights his resilient flame, with resilient grace. 

But. no longer am i defined by the ridges i bear

they have eroded

my words define, but not by meaning

i will change just as the weather

not because i must, now i want

change is a powerful thing

i have found power in me to change