Also Known As-Emily Martinez

Walking alongside one another

Arms locked together

Laughing at each other in secret.

The labels they put on you matter.

Ranking you, delimiting your value

They matter,

You don’t.

They matter until you are no longer apart of that label

Stranded, rejected

Leaving.

You.

Behind.

Now what?

Where do we go from here?

Walking the long alleyways alone

Dreading the days

Feeling the eyes

Burning, boiling

Into your head, soul, self

Listening, observing

At what you couldn’t see before

Nowhere else to go

Nowhere else to look but up

While they look down at you

No light at the end of this tunnel

Searching, seeking, reaching

For someone

Anyone

To let you in.

But eventually, everyone lets go

What more can you give

Pride? Respect? Worth?

What more do they want?

You have nothing left

To give or take

You do it for them

Pleasing one another

With actions

With words

With behavior

With no mistakes

Be yourself they say

While they judge you in silent  

It all leads to this

One misconception

One choice

Disapproval

Ended it all.

Us.

A trio

Turned to a duo

And finally a solo

A dead end

Where do we go from here?