Take Me Away

i must be tried as an adult for the crime of wanting
the plea of choosing
a family that did not raise me and does not, actually, care

for mapping distortions of manifest affection onto real people, wholly separate from me
whose lives continue independent of mine
whose smiles remain the same size regardless

i've done the same for myself
a separate person who won't weep for my isolated fate
an adult who looks at the abandoned child and thinks

what a pity, you're so weak. what a shame, no one will ever love you.

you can't do it yourself