An Ode To My 2nd Grade Teacher

You told me I couldn't

You called me stupid

You made a "what not to do" example out of me

And here I still stand

Can a stupid kid graduate high school with a certificate in Graphic Design?

Can a stupid kid ace every foreign language class that was thrown his way

Can a stupid kid be a voice for the LGBTQ youth?

I pity you..

I pity your misery

I pity the pain you went through in the refugee camps

I pity you for the hell that Pol Pot put you and your family through

You went through so much, and you took it out on me

A star in the process of being made

My gases still orbiting me, waiting to be a part of me

You hurt me

Making me lose trust in the teachers after you

You tried to destroy me

to strip me of my nutrients while I was still a seedling

Yet I still grew

Yes, my petals are discolored

My green leaves are deformed

But I am on a constant search for sunlight and water

I breathe in your toxic CO2 formed from years of pain,insecurity and lost childhood

I spew out fresh oxygen, making the world a more beautiful place

And to set the world on fire..