Oh hello, dusty blog! Here is a draft of some song lyrics I wrote for some music my dad is composing. It occurred to me that I write more when I think people are watching, so I'm posting it. Maybe I'll start posting more again. Maybe not.

Will You Please Just Let Me Have My Despair For A Minute

My teacher says I try too hard, but

I need to try harder.

I can’t relax and try to float

I’m drowning in this water

Birds sing and soar to demonstrate

And cry ‘just be yourself!’

But they don’t seem to understand

Myself’s not good enough

You can fly, sure—you’ve got wings.

I’m standing in a trough.

These crazy people watching me

Expect me to take off

I guess when wings were handed out

I was just off somewhere

And now nobody seems to get

Why I’m not in the air

I don’t have any excuses

I’m smart, I’m strong, so true

But I’m really tired of hearing

“We all believe in you!”

My teacher reassures me, but

I don’t know on what grounds

I can’t relax into my “voice”

I don’t know how it sounds

I know it’s temporary

Life has up and down years

but before proclaiming my glory
please let me have these tears.

-Alissa Mortenson Tyka