kelan newt

Ashland MFA Alum

free

Poor man, I miss the boy you used to be.
Free to love. Free from lust.
Free to smile. Free to trust.
Free from perfection.

Now you’re enslaved to what’s expected
instead of being present in your blessings.

Poor child, I miss the boy you used to be.
Free of overthought. Free to wonder.
Free to wander. Free to slumber.
Free from perception. Free from rejection.

Now you’re enslaved to sadness when
you used to be happy from habit.
Poor baby, I miss the boy you used to be.
Free to roam. Free to explore.
Free to learn. Free to ignore.
Free from mistakes.
Free to misbehave.

Now you’re enslaved to apologies when
you have already been forgiven.

I want you to break from your shackles and
find strength through your liberty.

I miss how you used to be,
free from the broken mirror of your own insecurity.

__________

About the author

Kelan Newt is a poet from Sacramento, California. He recently received his MFA from Ashland University in the summer of 2023. He writes to bring hope and protect the hearts of young black boys everywhere, knowing that it only takes one poem to change a life.