During my freshman year I had the assignment of writing an advice poem
Still drenched in middle school angst I created an awful piece
And the year after I tried to write another in order to cheer my future self up
I’ll give my past self credit but I believe I am due to write another advice poem
However this time, I’m pulling advice straight from old diaries and scrapbooks
To my past and future self, I sincerely hope this gives you guidance

Sometimes you will be like a boat speeding through the waves
At the top of the world and fighting back against the harsh currents
Then your anchor slips free and hooks onto a rock to a sudden halt
It drags you down occasionally the possibility of drowning awakens your terror
We are no strangers to drowning as the feeling of water running through our nose
And crowding the space in our throat to block any passing of oxygen causes
An unforgettable sense of claustrophobia when we take a mundane inhale as if its our last
But I’ve told you time and time again to fight the ocean with bare hands of determination
Escape the whirlpools who grab your ankles and try to drag you to the bottom of the sea
There will be times when the ocean seems like its winning and you need your rest
Stop for a moment and take a breath before fighting back it is exhausting each time
Kick your legs and swim away from the dark depths of danger and break the surface
Then you float along like you’re in a lazy river appreciating the peace

Sometimes the future will be a thick fog rising in the humidity of a thunderstorm
In all my years I’ve never been able to see my future self and where we go
But I see a lot of my past self like the shadow trotting at my heels with noisy yips and barks
Remember to pet and play with the puppy and don’t be too harsh
No one could ever predict the mess of the past nor the rollercoaster ride of the future
Be nicer to all versions of us because negativity is so draining and I am tired of it
Who said pessimism was the way to go but that might have to do with just being thirteen
Then again our middle school self wasn’t wrong in every way possible
That kid has some pretty good ideas and fantastic taste in music I will admit
We can still recite Fall Out Boy incantations while doing the dishes and I’m impressed
Every version of myself have made their own special contributions to the whole self
But we need to appreciate and love all of them no matter how many mistakes we make

Sometimes you will get so frustrated and it feels like the end of the world
But for a few moments, whether it be seconds, minutes or even hours, it gets better
Advice I never brought myself to believe for years until fairly recently and they were right
Sometimes things don’t go according to plan and it’s scary, but it’s always okay
I mean I don’t know if you’ve noticed but we made it to graduation like high school graduation
The only high school graduation I thought I’d ever see belonged to my brother seven years ago
With obnoxious hair I’m going to make sure everyone sees me because we made it, I made it
Sometimes you feel awful and your best won’t match your ridiculous mental standards
Sometimes it’s important to take things slow if you need to and there’s nothing to be ashamed of
Always dress how you want because we didn’t sit through years of dysphoria to suck it up
Things are bound to go flying off the rails and you might not instantly bounce back
However you’ll find your way and it’ll all work out because it has to every single time
Life fluctuates like the relationship of the ever changing tides and the moon phases
Sometimes we will get lost, but we’ll figure things out with one foot in front of the other