What's Wrong

Words

I have no talent

Those are the words that tumble out of my lap

The words that slither into a stranger's ears

And crawl down their throats

I'm surrounded by its suffocating presence

Trying to swim out of its grasp

They intrude when I'm reading

And smile sinisterly when I flinch

I'm useless

These are words that follow me home

Like a stray puppy, they cling to me

But I know I can't let them in

And when I walk outside

Strangers are staring blankly

Trying harder than ever to understand

But they're incapable of seeing through the dark

And I'm left alone with my thoughts

The words that tear down empires

And build walls

These are words that bring dreaded diagnoses

People call them depression, or low self esteem

I call them truth

I've been around them so long that lines blur

And I know words as old friends

Loner, loser, freak, talentless,

They're synonymous to me

Although I wish it weren't

A gnarled relationship formed between us

And the last syllables leave my tongue,

Ready to pollute the rest of the world

I'm a freak