She was an inch from my face.
Four years old
And perfect.
I realized then
That you’re as good as you’ll ever be
Long before puberty.

I’ve heard people say
“Well, he’s pretty smart for his age”
And it’s not until
The braces have come off
And that five o’clock shadow
Is telling you you’re a man,
That people stop noticing
How smart you are
For your age.
And, instead, measure worth
By how many dollars you earn
Above minimum wage.

I’ve regressed since preschool.
Become more of myself,
And less of
Who I wanted to be.

My heroes are women
Who’ve been through more shit
Than what’s being poured into Revere Beach each day.

While I nearly died
The first time
A boy that I loved
Left me.

Truth is,
It’s still there.
Boiling in my chest
Like a sad potato.
Sometimes rendering me
Soft.

Time causes more damage
Than any thing else on this earth.
And the more years I’ve managed to live through--
The more I have to talk about.

Yes, I miss those days
When I cried because I wanted to,
And not because I had to.

Nineteen years,
And the greatest thing I’ve learned
Is that wisdom is the thing
That hits you in the ass on the way out.