Before They Told You

I have an obsession.

It’s an obsession with the old me I love looking at pictures of her I love videos even more I want to visit young Claire as much as I can

I want to see her dance I want to see her laugh I want to see the outfits she picks out The way that she plays at recess Her messy handwriting Her dirty old sneakers Her gap-toothed grin Her baggy basketball shorts Her fingernails with dirt lodged underneath

I want to watch her in the swings I want to watch her play pretend I want to hear her singing I want to hear her questions I want to hear her dreams

Why the obsession with my younger self?  Well, in the simplest terms, I want to see who I was— before the world told me who to be. 

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