I was born on July 27th. I hear
that makes me a Leo. I have
no idea what that means.
I'm 5'6
and a half,
I weigh one hundred and seventy-five pounds,
I don't know how to swim,
I'm a sucker for a girl with a nice smile
and clean sneakers. I'm still learning
how to whisper, I'm loud in places
where I should be quiet, I'm quiet
in places where I should be loud,
I was born feet first and I've been
backwards ever since. I like ginger ale.
A lot.
I've been told that I give really bas hugs.
People say it feels like I'm trying to escape.
Sometimes it's because I am.
I get really nervous every time someone
gets close enough to hear me breathe.
I have a off fascination with sandcastles
and ice sculptures:
things that will only last a few moments.
That's also why I fall in love with women
who will never love me back.
I know it sounds crazy,
but it's actually much easier than it seems
and I think it's safer that way.
Relationships remind me that I'm not afraid
of heights or falling, but I'm afraid of what's
going to happen
when my body hits the ground.
I'm clumsy. Yesterday I tripped
over my self-esteem, landed on my pride
and it shattered like an iPhone
with a broken face. Now I can't even tell
who's trying to give me a compliment.
Sometimes, I wonder what my bedsheets say
about me when I'm not around.
I wonder what the curtains would do
if they found out about all the things
I've done behind their backs.
I've got a hamper full of really loud mistakes
and a graveyard in my closet.
I'm afraid if I let you see my skeletons,
you'll grind the bones into powder
and get high on my fault lines.
I've never been in the military,
but I have a purple heart:
I got it from beating myself up
over things I can't fix.
Some days I forget that my skin
is not a panic room.
Hi. My name is Rudy.
I enjoy frozen yogurt,
people-watching, and laughing
for absolutely no reason at all,
but I don't allow myself to cry
as often as I need to.
I have solar-powered confidence
and a battery-operated smile.
My hobbies include: editing my life story,
hiding behind metaphors,
and trying to convince my shadow
that I'm someone worth following.
I don't know much,
but I do know this:
Heaven is full of music,
and God listens to my heartbeat
on his iPod. It reminds him
that we still got work to do.