THE THINGS I WANTED I wanted to read novels, but they gave me school notes…

THE THINGS I WANTED

I wanted to read novels,

but they gave me school notes instead.

I wanted to learn how to ride a horse,

but I was taught it was useless.

I wanted to learn how to play musical instruments,

but I was almost scolded for wanting to waste time on music.

I wanted to learn fighting,

in order to know how to defend myself,

but I was told it was a waste of time,

that I should keep studying.

I wanted to swim,

but somehow I only ended up learning how to survive instead.

Unconsciously, I started bracing myself for rejection.

But more importantly,

my hunger for knowledge faded into resignation.

And studying started feeling more like a punishment

than the discovery it once was.