Every parent teacher meeting the teachers would look at my parents with sad eyes

telling them I was almost perfect 

but I thought too much and spoke too little.

They said I needed help,

but it's hard to dry the tears of someone who doesn't know why they are crying.

I got better with age,

and that's a simpler way of saying nothing has changed,

only matured and taken on a new way of showing itself.

Now people look at me like they've just arrived in a new country,

saying things like "It's beautiful" and "I wish I could stay"

But people only stay long enough to enjoy the view.

Some countries require extensive study

sometimes you have to visit every place within in it to truly appreciate it.

But nobody has the patience. 

People won't listen to the history if it risk a change in what they see.

People like me can turn every head in a room and still go unnoticed.

People like me could confess their deepest, darkest secrets

and everyone would pretend like they didn't hear it.

People like me think we're just some sad story with a tongue, teeth, and vocal chords to speak

but are lacking the courage to do so

because that is what we are taught. 

We're are more than we give ourselves credit for

because we talk, boy do we talk,

we tell stories with our eyes,

we make the bad things good,

we are the hope for hopeless.

Don't tell me I'm too complicated to read

when you aren't interested in learning my content.

I don't seek criticism from a painter,

who hasn't painted a thing in their life,

telling me I am almost a master piece

but I could use some finishing touches.

I was once invited to a big party that made me feel very small and uncomfortable

until the lights were dark

and our only source of light was from the blinking colors provided by the DJ

who played music that intoxicated our minds and made us feel the good kind of dizzy.

Everyone stood and swayed,

except for me,

I sat and admired 

beautiful people, 

smiles,

slow dances,

and conversation.

I felt privileged to be surrounded by something so human,

fascinated by people in raw and real form,

being themselves unapologetically.

The following week,

a guy from the party approached me

saying that I was the only on he remembered from that night.

I was not dancing but my heart was

and he counted every step.

When I told him I was captured by the overwhelming amount of beauty

oozing from peoples souls that night,

he looked at me as if he knew that night has consumed me since

and that I'd spend forever trying to put something that was supposed to mean nothing

down into words.

That's when I realized,

people like me need people like them

and people like them need people like me.