To escape, to be free. That’s what most of us aspire for, but free from what? Escape what? Freedom from what? Personally, I just want to be at peace with myself, and with my thoughts. I want to escape to a place or state of mind where I have no worries. Where there isn’t any pain or heartache.

My generation has redefined so many things. and it’s admirable. Our refusal to abide by so many rules that were placed for us before we were even born is admirable. Our addition of labels and ideas that our ancestors would have never allowed is remarkable, but it’s also confusing sometimes. For example, love. Our generation is so afraid of commitment to the point that we created “situationships”. Now in days, people use the word “love” too loosely. Whenever I hear it leaves me curious as to what people might mean by it, or if they actually mean it.

It was in the midst of Covid-19 that I wrote this poem. I was a senior in High School scrambling to complete a thousand things in order to ensure that I graduated and got into college. By trying to balance assignments, applications, meetings, my family, my social life, and my personal life…I realized that I didn’t have time for it all. I was overwhelmed, losing sleep to meet deadlines, and I didn’t understand why.

Hope, that’s one of the things that keep me going. This is an oxymoron but when all things seem hopeless, I still have some hope left. I’ve reached my breaking point time and time again, but I’m still here, clinging to that hope. Hoping that tomorrow is better than today, taking things one day at a time, and growing as an individual every day. Because looking back at who I was in the past, I can safely say I’ve come a long way, and in the words of Tom Brady, “I didn’t come this far to only come this far”.