Listen, kid.
Science tells us that
the entire world gravitates
toward chaos,
that every atom
holding our fragile lives together
is falling apart.
Those 2 A.M. nights
when the salt water
in your lungs burned
and you couldnât see a way out-
falling apart.
The boy who stabbed you with smiles-
falling apart.
Your brave sister,
your hopeless father,
your beautiful mother-
falling,
falling,
falling apart.
So, whatâs the point, kid?
If weâre all marching toward an impending doom,
whatâs the fucking point?
Science doesnât tell us what to do
before the chaos weâre all hurtling toward.
And kid, thatâs because science is full of shit.
Science only tells us the outcome,
not the desperately important in-between bits-
the ugly and terrible and painful,
the magnificent and lovely and magical
bits that sew up a life.
So, kid, youâve got to live,
and not just that stoic existence youâve
been stomping through all this time.
Youâve got to be kind,
youâve got to fall in love,
fall out of love,
no matter how much it hurts
because my god,
itâs worth it.
Donât let the world turn you to stone;
youâve got to feel.
And sometimes,
your heart will threaten
to march right out of your chest
because youâre so fucking full of it all-
of the people,
the places,
the endless days,
the eternal nights-
and kid, thatâs fine.
Be brave.
Courage isnât measured by the
number of people youâve turned away
or by the counts of the nights youâve
spent alone because you refuse to
give someone the chance to love you.
Being alone is not poetic;
youâve got to let them in.
Let them peel back your skin
and waltz into your bloodstream
and love them,
love them,
love them.
And finally, kid,
your life has already begun.
Stop waiting.
Chaos is already underway.
