GIFTED??

In those days, they called me "GIFTED,"
Like I was something rare,
A star that shone too bright,
Too far for my friends to reach.
The label glittered-sharp and heavy—

It made me stand out, but also
Made me feel like I was supposed to already know
What everyone else was still figuring out.
I finished first, sure.

But inside, there was this quiet ache,
A voice that kept asking,
"Why can’t you just get it and be okay?"

I wasn’t the kid who needed more math problems.
I needed someone to see past the answers
And listen when I couldn’t quiet the storm in my head.
Because being "gifted" didn’t mean it was easy.

Sometimes, I’d race ahead of the others,
But still feel lost halfway through.

The fear crept in
The fear of failing, of being less than what they thought I was.
I wanted to make mistakes. I wanted to fail and feel it.
Not for the sake of losing, but to learn
What it means to stretch beyond what’s easy.
To hold something in my hands and let it go,
Not knowing if I’d ever get it back.

You can call me gifted if you like
But know, it’s not a title that makes me whole.
I’m just someone trying to find my place
In a world that seems to think I’ve already figured it out.