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In this world

I have seen boys and girls

Struggling to keep it together

As their lives are being torn apart at the seams

I have seen shaking hands

That have wiped away tears

Written letters

And held guns

I have seen

the young, the old, the weak

The poor, the strong, and the lonely

As one

I’ve seen

High heels, short skirts

And confidence

But one look in the eyes

And I see worlds shattering

I see the fake smiles, faulty boldness

And vulnerability

They say eyes are the windows to the soul

And I wish I had believed them

Right from the start

In this world

I see depression, stress, and anxiety

I see scores on papers

Etching themselves into heads

And I want to scream

You can’t be judged based on a number

But only on the the composition of what’s in your heart

I want to start over

I want to wipe the slate clean

I want to take new steps

In the right direction

In a bright and shiny new world

Wrapped in a bow

In this world

I have seen everything

And this

This is just an observer’s note