The weight you drop

On their Shoulders,

It hurts.

Did you not

Know?

Shoulders are not

Invincible

For they are only bone

And muscle.

And eventually

Through bearing

All of the hopeless standards

You scream in their ears

The bone will begin to

Shatter,

And the muscle

Tear.

They are not indestructible.

But you play

As if they are.

You gamble with their

Hearts

And heads

In hopes that they will not

Fall apart,

But ?ourish.

A challenger,

You want to be

In their eyes.

A person

To hinder them

In ?guring who they are,

To make them question

Themselves

And who they possess

The power

To be.

Amidst their hearts

Trying to take

Their own shape,

You beat on that organ.

You beat on their

Door, too.

They never agree to let you in,

But you break in

Despite.

You rain rage

Down upon their

Safe place,

Run their

Thoughts

Haggard,

And in the end

Always say

That this

Is what they should want.

Because,

Simply because,

You know

Exactly

What is best for them.

Imani Cloud

Age 15. Grade 9

Freedom High School

Bethehem Area School District