Naivety

I am not naive.

no, I swear — these self-inflicted scars aren’t accidents of ignorance

they are choices rooted in the deepest parts of my being

there is a difference between expecting reality and accepting it

just because I crave a better world doesn’t mean I don’t understand this one —

I simply believe we can do more

my decisions might be stupid (every one of us has regrets)

but they are not uninformed

it is not that all I see is positivity —

it’s that I choose to embrace hope

and my cost-benefit analyses are never perfect, I know

even my best calculations are divided by emotion

but the reward of connection has always outweighed the pain of being open

sometimes I swear I’m insane, but I think it always will

I can scream that I want to change — will I be protected by apathy?

but no matter how much I think I yearn to be different

I know retreating would only hurt worse

if opening my lungs might mean I’ll drown in sorrow

I will still gladly chase the sweetness of fresh air

the weight of the world isn’t lost on me

but I refuse to concede that the world is lost

sure, this is the way things are — I know that

but is it the way they have to be?

I will never be ashamed of asking that question.

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