"we're going to write poems"

my heart dropped to the floor.

"we're going to write poems" 

my brain croaked with lifelessness.

"we're going to write poems"

and i pursued an escape.

little did i know that the phrase reinvented me,

resuscitated me,

revived me from murderous high school boredom. 

"we're going to write poems"

the simple phrase that caused so much anxiety,

showed me that i have a voice,

a meaning besides talking,

that words are overused and undervalued.

it taught me that a voice can be listened to but not truly heard, 

that you don't have to speak to speak up, 

that words are sometimes more powerful than voices. 

"we're going to write poems"

taught me to listen.

taught me to be a better person. 

taught me to question. 

taught me to learn. 

taught me to serve. 

taught me to be my best self. 

now i can say

"i'm going to write poems"

without dread.