They want me to be perfect—
like I’m some kinda project
they can fix or show off.

“Get good grades.”
“Be quiet.”
“Make us proud.”
Like that’s all I’m here for.

Sometimes I wonder if they see me
or just a checklist they need to tick off.
Like, what if I don’t wanna be the smart kid?
Or the athlete?
Or whatever they planned?

I’m tired of pretending,
of always trying to be enough.
But who even decides what enough is?
Not me.

I just wanna breathe,
make mistakes,
mess up,
and still feel like I’m okay.

But that’s not the story they want.
They want a trophy.
They want a star.
But I just want to be me.

Is that so much to ask?