TO WHOm IT MAY CONCERN
To whom it may concern:
Life’s not something to condone,
so here’s a list of things I’ve learned
and things I wish that I had known.
First and foremost,
don’t be engrossed
by the rhymes and sayings forced upon you.
Sticks and stones may break your bones,
but words cut deeper than your soul.
Because bruises fade and cuts mend,
but words fester again and again
And being unique makes you a freak.
When they say, “Be different,”
they mean, “Change something small.
Be similar or don’t be with us at all.”
My second piece of advice is: wear earbuds.
Hear the rhythm of your heart pump blood
and match your footsteps to the lyrics.
Listen to your spirit’s music.
Instruments say far more than people.
Speechless sentences rattle more in your skull.
Those things that words cannot express
are filtered through notes into their own mess.
Number three: just remember.
Remember what it’s like to be young.
That time in the past when your mind was unstrung
and from your lips sprung a song
that seemed to have only just graced your tongue
Children are born with a wonder in their eyes
And universes in their minds
But adults hide in steel boxes and follow routine
I think it’s fairly clear,
something terrible happened between three and eighteen.
Thing number four is to break the rules.
Etiquette sucks - grasp mud instead.
Board a spaceship and ride the clouds.
Climb the branches of mountains and
squint at the sun when it’s dark out.
Know that the constellations in the sky
are nothing compared to the stars in your eyes.
Though people may tell you otherwise,
your passions are most important and it’s best to improvise.
And then, number five:
When it feels as though you’ve run out of lives,
you’ve forgotten the rules,
and in your hand is a razor or a knife.
Here’s a reason you should stay:
Some days that come are sunny
and some days that come bring rain.
I know this sounds really cliche,
but hey.
You’ve survived so far, through all that pain.
By God, you’re alive.
And those people and their iron studded words?
Damn them, don’t be deterred
You’ve been through Hell and back in your mind
You can make it through; you’re not gonna die
But if this still doesn’t work and it feels like a lie
Then your Number Five can just be Spite
Show them you can do it
Show them they were wrong
They were the true demons
and your light is lifelong
Number six is to use words.
Say hello. Say thank you.
Laugh at a bad pun or
compliment someone.
Yell for your favorite sports team.
Cry, sob, and break apart at the seams.
Because words are weapons, but they come with first aid.
They condemn, but you can still use them to save.
Your nice comment may erase someone’s scar.
Because that person may have been who you are.
Finally, number seven is that you don’t need lucky numbers or rulebooks - it’s all balderdash.
Crumple this up, toss it in the trash -
and live.
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- 01/31/18