Why Ironman Doesn’t Have a Song Chloe Williams

Dear Self

Audrey Nguyen

Sitting in a midnight room Exit lights become my moon Such empty promises you made me Were ashamed of what you had So you left me beside the trash Can’t help but wonder why you hate me

“No one’s gonna save you You have to do it yourself” We both know you’d rather Go and save somebody else

Pick me up from the lost and found Discarded things are someday thrown out I hope you find the courage to stand Be strong enough to reprimand yourself Cause you can’t keep counting on people To save you from your own evil It’s only a matter of time Before we must say goodbye

‘Course you left me on purpose Tried to drop such a burden Weighing down every thought in your head

Everybody’s got a reason For committing such treason Still, how could you worship her instead? You know yourself more than them Know all your aspirations So why are you waiting for Someone else’s clarification?

Pick me up from the lost and found You know there’s no escaping this now I hope you find the courage to stand Be strong enough to reprimand yourself You can’t keep standing there hoping No guarantee when the world’s broken That someone will care enough To give you the skills to adjust

You’re the only one I have Everybody leaves eventually I’m the only one you have So, will you leave us at this perpetually?

Wake up from the lost and found We both know there’s no avoiding this now I hope you find the courage to stand Be strong enough to reprimand yourself Promise you’ll be proud, ‘cause even a little progress Is moving forward, nonetheless Just, no matter what, don’t let yourself go You’re more precious than you’d ever know

Author’s Note: This poem is a song I wrote somewhere in the blur of quarantine. While waiting for the whole pandemic to be over and selfishly praying it would return my life to “normal”, I realized I was the only one who could make lasting change in my lifestyle. However, actually putting in the effort was an entirely different story, so I wrote this with the hope it would bring me some encouragement and motivation. The narrator can be interpreted however you like, but I wrote them as the innocent child in me who desperately hopes the “you”, or current me, will realize their potential and start prioritizing themselves more. Natalia Green Digital