• A woman leaning over a wooden table in frustration
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    How can I loveIn a world full of hate? How can I growWhen I’m crushed by the weight? How can I learnWhen ignorance is bliss? How can I succeedWhen jobs are remiss? How can I governWhen politics are a joke? How can I speakWhen my words always choke? How can I thriveIn this world that ...
  • Pink background and woman standing next to the words self-described and self-defined
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    It climbs from the east. Those beams that signal a new day and the promise of a fresh start. That offers the chance to shed the past, like dry, unwanted skin flaking away in the wind. That brings renewed optimism and the possibility of favorable terms. And I sigh I wait under my covers and ...
  • flaming books
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    Off to work on school assignments. God forbid I have a life. All college ever does for me Is bring me stress and strife. All I ever learn here Is how to view my grades with fear. I learn how to fabricate the truth. I learn to be deceptive and tell lies. To lie is ...
  • Black background with flickers of fluorescent light surrounding a fluorescent light bulb.
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    The biggest epiphany I had was the realization that no one would save me but myself. I needed to stand up to the monsters in my brain. It fell to me to take control of my environment and decide whether to change or nourish it. No doctor or handbook existed to show the perfect way ...
  • It shows a rainbow flag up close with all the of the classic colors in view. The order of colors goes as follows: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. There are also slight creases in the image to show how the flag is made of fabric and is moving, just like it would while someone is carrying it.
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    Author’s note: This piece includes brief mentions of suicide. Please read with discretion. “The Trump Administration Orders Termination of National LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide Lifeline, Effective July 17th.”  I recall seeing these words appear on the explore page of one of my social media platforms. A storm of shock and denial consumed me with each word ...
  • A gray and white background with black block letters reading Never be the same Never be Another
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    I often ask myself when writing a piece, “Am I doing this well?” “Could this be better?” “Am I good enough?” Perfectionism weaves a false narrative that I’m lackluster despite overwhelming proof of otherwise. It’s a consistent roller coaster of emotion, wondering if I come up short when I’m right on time. Too often, I’ve ...
  • Two hands holding a black paper heart at the edges.
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    The reality of the human experience is often draining. Hopelessness expands like gas in a room without you realizing it. Despair is accessible and easy to notice. There’s direct access to the news at your fingertips, enough to make anybody anxious. Therefore, hopefulness isn’t uninvolved; it’s intentional. You scratch, claw, and fight your way to ...
  • A woman in a red dress within a dark forest landscape
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    Oh, woe to me. I rue the day I ever met you. An innocent, petite angel, I believed you to be. A victim of hate, having little friends, you took my pity and softened my heart. Little did I realize, the ones who deserted you were no villains or enemies. They became warriors reborn and ...
  • A hallway with green walls and gray floors that shows a lit baby blue brick wall and window in the distance.
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    My eyes flickered as I tried to adjust to the pitch black. The room’s darkness challenged all my senses. I can’t see what’s in front of me, and the silence deafens my hearing in the most unsettling way. Where am I? What am I doing here? This new world gave me no means of clarity. ...
  • White desk with a laptop and opened notebook in front of a big window with a view of mountains and sunlight.
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    If time is a matter of perception, then you can change its pace. One might think that the days passed slower in our youth, but for adults, that is a distant point of view. When comparing your outlook and experience in the past, rather than how time passes today, we must realize time isn’t absolute. ...