so i used to write poetry
when i was younger.

 

i always kept it a secret,
as i do now.

 

for some reason i use 
to think that other individuals
opinions mattered.

 

i wish i couldve told my younger
self that its okay to be vulnerable.

 

that past events shouldnt dictate
your every move.

 

that trying to calculate
everything out so youre 
never surprised.
 

or better yet,

only giving half of your true self to anyone
isnt going to fulfill anything.

 

 

 

smile more, even though
our cheeks rise so high.

 

laugh without apologies,
because the louder you laugh,
the more you feel it.

 

remember that your aura 
is unmatched, and your energy
is unstoppable.

 

 

so, older self.
i think we will try to be
a little more

 

vulnerable.