my next trick

it won't be flashy, showy, or

even remotely special to the untrained eye

but those who've suffered the burden of 

knowing me will understand why

my next trick is magical.

from the seventh grader who

didn't understand their emotions

to the eighth grader who

gave into them

to the ninth grader who

didn't see the point in fighting 

to the tenth grader who

obsessed over everything except themselves

to the eleventh grader who

dropped the proverbial pot of their soul,

the twelfth grader

is now slowly piecing the fragments of

their very being back together with their

blood, sweat, & tears as glue. it

will never be perfect or the way

it once was, but the imperfections finally feel 

like art & not failure. for

my next trick, i will

learn to love myself again because

i have no choice & if i don't

who ever will?