Beauty feels different lately

I’ve stopped clinging with desperation,

To moments too few and far in between.

“I don’t drink a lot of water because I don’t want to my kidneys to get used to it.”

HUH?!!

“Learn to have tough skin”

“Never let anyone in.”

Hard bodies, harder hearts

Hard bodies for soft hearts.

Hard, Hard and Harder still

You ever seen a scene of two brother

standing tall, facing each other

chest puffed, fists clenched

taking turns to smack each other

Each swing aiming to plunge the other into darkness

triggering a cacophony of cheers

I live in a world flipped upside down

A warrior shamed from choosing peace

upside down and inside out

Expected to count the plants before we sow the seeds

Color inside the lines, on someone else’s painting

T-98

I pray that means something.