She, by no means, had ever thought that she needed a man to save her,
She never really thought she needed anyone.
She would climb the tallest trees to reach her aspirations,
Never expecting a safety net woven by anyone’s hands but her own.
She had curated an image of the person she desired to be,
A story she needed to write for herself,
Not borrow from someone else’s shelf.
Pen strokes of fierce independence,
Call her an enigma, if you will.
However, shallow breaths took place of the light she desired to breathe into a room,
Slight stumbles found their way into her elongated strides.
An insecurity lingers.
When all that a person aspires to convey,
Seems to contradict the soil in which she grows.
She had longed to be something big,
While being confined to spaces that only accepted small.
Small actions.
Small thoughts.
Small minds.
She grew sick of wearing shackles of alienation,
While being surrounded by others who were content with complacence.
She instead decided she would don armor of formulated thoughts and cohesive principles,
Rather than toxicity and disregarded privilege.
She had realized that the only person who could build a ladder to her future was herself.
The only person who could see her ambitions to fruition was herself. It was her,
And only her.
My name is Kaitlyn McCormick and I am a junior at West Deptford High School. I live with my parents, my twin brother, and pets. I enjoy singing and participating in my school’s color guard. I am very ambitious and believe in staying true to yourself.