Reflection of the Past, Visions of the Future

Since I was a kid, they said I was gentle as a lamb. Quiet. Kind. Smart. So I've kept that image. Or tried, at least. I didn’t fail. Not once. Grades stayed high, mouth stayed clean, choices stayed safe. No vices, no trouble, just quiet nods and “Yes, I can.” “Yes, I will.” I built a life that made people proud. And slowly, I forgot to ask myself, "Are you proud too?" Well, I guess I am. I’ve built a good name, after all. But looking back now, I feel sadness because every praise I get feels like a quiet command that the only room I should enter is the room of success Every applause disregards the possibility that I could fail at any time. It’s like a tooth, one that never got to grow because a “perfect” one was already there. I should bear the weight of the crown I chose, but as time passes by, it grows heavier, stiffening my every move. Now that I’m older, I wish to live without any standard. To enjoy life and everything it offers. I wish to say no without guilt. I wish to rest without thinking of time. I wish to live without having to earn it first. But with a heart as brittle as glass, A mind that easily overflows with thoughts, With soft eyes that cry too easily— Is it even possible?