Slow down my friend
I see that mind moving at a million miles an hour
The chip on the shoulder – the connection to the strained brain
Navigating both sun and rain, dark clouds lead to gaps in weather
Whether you are stuttering and faltering, apologizing for forgetting
But really you are apologizing for the fact that you cannot begin to share all that is weighing you down
You are an imperfect person in this world demanding your perfection
You viscerally look weak in their eyes so you try and mentally exude strength – you are a rock not shards of broken glass
But it’s strength you never had, that was constantly extracted from you like a precious resource
You are an ocean losing it’s own water, a dream losing it’s own subconscious, a mission losing its own commander
Slow down, none of that matters
For yesterday you saw your mom smile for the first time in years
You were there when your daughter cried her first tears
You sat with a good friend that the whole world ignored
You ate food that they used to say was meant for the poor
You took one step further through a supposedly locked door
Slow down, to realize you’ve come so far
It doesn’t matter that back in the day they said you were sub-par
That year after year they ignored the light of your star
That you always took the middle back seat of the car
That you struggled to even pass or be even with the bar
You’ve sped through so much of your life or had those moments sped up for you
Growing up without your father
A sister who doesn’t speak to you
No sense of what love is in your life any more
A home that is empty every day of the week
Words trapped in the throat that you are so anxious to speak
You can’t liberate yourself when you are busy trying to keep up
Slow down my sister and brother, sip slowly from this cup.
