Q Post: Morning Lives

“And kid, you’ve got to love yourself. 

You’ve got wake up at four in the morning, 

brew black coffee, and stare at the birds 

drowning in the darkness of the dawn. 

You’ve got to sit next to the man at the train station 

who’s reading your favorite book 

and start a conversation. 

You’ve got to come home after a bad day 

and burn your skin from a shower. 

Then you’ve got to wash all your sheets 

until they smell of lemon detergent 

you bought for four dollars at the local grocery store. 

You’ve got to stop taking everything so goddam personally. 

You are not the moon kissing the black sky. 

You’ve got to compliment someones crooked brows 

at an art fair and tell them that their eyes 

remind you of green swimming pools in mid July. 

You’ve got to stop letting yourself 

get upset about things that won’t matter in two years. 

Sleep in on Saturday mornings 

and wake yourself up early on Sunday. 

You’ve got to stop worrying about what you’re going to tell her when she finds out. 

You’ve got to stop over thinking why he stopped caring about you over six months ago. 

You’ve got to stop asking everyone for their opinions. 

Fuck it. Love yourself, kiddo. You’ve got to love yourself.”

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