VOICE

Silence gripped our soul,

Uneasy but unable to speak.
Whist! Our mind said.
Speak! Our heart said.
Quiet, we lay in a pool of silence
Drowning in words that failed to come out.
A scream broke out suddenly from within;
At last we not only heard ourselves
But the world heard our voice.
No longer was silence going to hold us hostage;
Our voice was going to echo round the world.
The sound of our voice will forever change our generation.

Salome Odafen

300l MBBS

CURSED

I have a problem... I'm not sure you'd understand. It's Summer Time and I can't swim. I can't swim but I love the ocean. We are not taught to swim, instead we are told "When you are ready it will come to you." So I either fall too deep in it or I don't go near it. I used to think that if I learned how not to die from drowning, I might learn how to swim. All I learned is how much I could take in the pain without falling apart. And no matter how much I wanted to die, a part of me just kept struggling to live, and not to leave. I would stay drowning in the ocean, unwanted. Trying to learn how to swim across, unsuccessful. I have always had two alternatives, drown or don't swim.

I have not been into the ocean in recent times. I might never be ready for it. But I can't stay away from it. I need the ocean. So yeah, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I stuck around it. I never went near enough. I said things about it to make others who were about to go in smile. I'm not sure if I meant any of those things. But I'm the only one around the ocean that's not looking to go in. I have to make it look like I don't really care. But by the time all my friends are in the ocean, I get lonely. Very lonely. But I wish I could swim like they can. I'd be deep in by now. Well, I don't need them, or the stupid ocean.

I haven't told you my problem yet.

-Twinless Gemini.

9.2.16

"Bobo!" I heard as one of them hit me twice. The way that word gets thrown around, I can't tell if it's friendly or derogatory. It doesn't matter. I was trying to be asleep. Do you not understand what that implies?! People are just plain stupid. That's why all the other animals hate us. We think we are so special because we can talk. And sometimes that's all we do. See, the real gift is thinking. The gift we never seem to want to use. Unfortunate. I'm texting her. Usually it helps the mood but for now, no luck. Someone just made light of the fact that I look annoyed. I hung him upside down, flayed his skin over a period of 3 days, tossed him in sugar and let ants on him. He begged me to kill him. I didn't. I hear a laugh, he's still here. I need a happier imagination. I also need therapy but my parents don't believe in that. I don't know how I survive them. But I love them and maybe love is surviving people.

I was supposed to write about something. I never got to it. Apparently my mind is at war and all I can tell is that I feel uncomfortable with everything. It's all a mess. I'd rather not be here. I feel like an intelligent baby. Nobody understands me because they won't look past the surface. Typical human nature. I don't have anywhere to be so I'll just stay here. I tried to shut it all out and listen to myself. It turns out the left side of my brain is a noisy hell hole and the right side is a quiet vacuum. I tried again, this time it's classical music and Morgan Freeman's voice listing out all the reasons I should attempt suicide but not kill myself. My roommates are talking about soccer. Arguing. Noise. Food would be great right now. Goodnight.

- Twinless Gemini