The Worm

You’re a worm,

You were told,

When you touched that thing in that shop,

Because you wanted to,

And because knowing you shouldn’t made it all that more tangible,

And now you just needed to know.

Not in such words,

Did you know you were a worm,

More in the disappointed tone,

And the scold from your mom,

And the repercussion of it all

So you held your hands still

You’re a worm,

You were told,

When you danced that way that you dance,

Because it felt right in your veins,

Because it didn’t matter how it looked,

It mattered how it felt,

Because the rhythm, no matter how off beat, made you feel good

Not in such words,

Did you know that you were a worm,

More in the disapproving stares,

The sniggers that landed on the back of your neck,

And made you cringe,

The words that made you cry

So you held your body still

You’re a worm,

You were told,

When you spoke to loudly,

But you had to say those words,

Because they were burning your tongue,

Dangling on the edge of your lips,

Bursting through the seams,

Not in such words,

Did you know you were a worm,

More in the way you lost that good friend,

Or you were accused of being intense,

Or being just a bit of a weirdo,

Or how you were told to calm down.

So you held your tongue still

And you believed you were a worm.

- By Eleanor Kumar