At thirteen,
I fell in love with ideals,
The fantasy of forever.
I walked away from silent suffering
With humility and rage.
At fifteen,
I got into bed with drug-induced
Dependency, escapism, and narcissism.
I walked away from abandonment and treason
With gratitude, patience, and reason.
At twenty,
I was swept up in secrecy
And social climbing.
I walked away from superficiality
With embarrassment and curiosity.
At twenty-one,
I felt saved by adoration
And nostalgia.
I walked away from self-inflation
And comparison
With compassion.
At twenty-two,
I befriended rejection
And empty niceties.
I ended the chase of deprecation,
With recognition and pride.
At twenty-three,
I recognized an old friend.
We walk each other home
With intention, direction, and peace.
Kailani is an amateur writer. She writes for the love of writing. It is her sincerest form of expression—a way to put her wide-ranging ideas and life experiences into something cohesive. As a clinical therapist, she helps others find, listen to, and use their voice. And her writing is her voice. The world as she experiences it is her
Featured image by Dmitry Schemelev.
