Chained in by expectations.
struggle, but they never break
twisting
in every direction.
Firm
harsh
steely
numbingly cold
invisible.
Nothing, but
nothing is always
something.
A thousand scratchy voices
television static
screaming
be smart, pretty, thin, neat, be right.
Be
perfect.

The world isn’t black and white
good and bad
it’s full of broken
messed up
expectations
disappointments
there are more
than two sides
to every story.

We are all just
miniscule
snowflakes.
Each one striving to be unique, but
when each carries only a slight variation of the other
they are all just the same
trying to find their place as they drift to the ground
knowing
they won’t make an impact

Soon, we will all be gone
forgotten
footprints in the sand
that washed away

I have been told
polar bears will become extinct
in my lifetime
that soon
we will be pollinating our crops
by hand
the world is broken
we are expected
to put it back together

The gap between better and best
the perfectionist who is just north of perfect
the 96 striving to be the bright red 100
the pencil
scratching paper
waiting to run out of lead