[p o e t r y]

Just A Student (Extended)

Tonight
I really want to be
A person
And not just
A student

I want to make
Photography reels
And grow my business

I want to write poetry
And express myself

I want to do yoga
And treat my body right

I want to dance
Dance around my room
Like I used to
Late nights
In high school

I want to be more
Than just a student

I want time
To be able to think
About who I am

I want time
To be able to feel
To actually
Acknowledge my emotions

I want time
To be creative
And grow as a human

But I don't have time
Because I am
Just a student

And because I am
Just a student
Every time I have
A thought I want to explore
Every time I feel the need
To cry or feel  deeply
Every time
I want to create something beautiful
I have to stop myself
Because I am just a student
And I do not have time
To think, feel, or be
Anything besides a student

I cannot stop
My homework
For things as trivial
As a thought
Or a feeling
Or a piece of art
Because I am just
A student
And if I take time
To be a person
I will fall behind
And fail as a student
And a student is what I am

First, I am a student
Then, I am a person

And though I know
That first I am a Christian
Second I am a person
And then somewhere
Later down on the list
I am a student
For the time being,
It feels as though
I am just a student
And do not have time
To be a person

(10/14/21)