Back in elementary school
the teacher will give you a piece of paper and you have to write 3 things
that describe who you are
Usually kids would just scribble down the first 3 sentences that pop up in their heads
“I’m a funny person ” said the unfunny one
“I’m super friendly” said the mean girl
“I’m a good person” said the ****
etc… etc… etc…
but whenever that paper appears upon her
she would go numb
with my pencil glued to her hand
confused eyes staring at the paper
usually she would just peak at someone else’s paper and copy what they say
and just go on with her day
with that question clinging onto her with utter annoyance
Yet now that she’s older it’s different
That question doesn’t come up on her high school homework packets and yet
and yet it still lingers somehow
Now her mind goes to a daydream state
where she sees herself sitting in an empty elementary classroom
with the paper with that question on there
and once again she’s numb
no one to peak at their shoulder
no teacher to ask for help
and not a single sound that can distract her
With only a pencil in my hand
she wrote her name and the date
with only a question mark as her answer
even though she already knew
but couldn’t bear to write it

I feel so unreal,
a shadow slipping through the cracks.
Reality is humbling—
it bends, it breaks, it shifts like glass.

What is reality
but echoes in an empty hall?
Are you sure you’re even real—
or just a dream that learned to crawl?