Desired

By Malakhi Tanner, 17, Michigan

I wanted so dearly to run forward, to steal myself a purpose, but feared grasping at hanging, tawdry fruit—rotten produce, neglected offspring of the tree. I wanted to forge a reputable name, to create a story worth telling, one of value, but I could never trust my own ambition; I feared it lied to me or hastily endorsed me without proof. I wanted—I wanted so badly… 

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This is a small part, butchered and simplified, of the feeling that plagues me.
Photo by Elijah Hiett