I Can't Keep My Own Secrets

by Larry Smith

—Samantha S.

  Ostracized as Catholic.

  Exonerated as lesbian.

  —Kris H.

  Falling for pirates, Brits, vampires, Italians.

  —Natalie C.

  Family has bipolar disorder. Me too.

  —Katie M.

  They don’t know, but we’re engaged.

  —Emily O.

  Great uncle’s on the AIDS quilt.

  —Stephanie N.

  Defined by numbers:

  age,

  weight,

  SATs.

  —Jocelyn P.

  Would be a slut, given chance.

  —Laurel G.

  I have blisters on my fingers.

  —Geoff B.

  Read Lord of Flies. Threw up.

  —Jake S.

  Luck was on my side…

  luckily.

  —Alexis W.

  Dragged across country, decided to stay.

  —Lily B.

  Natural blonde dyed black. Values intact.

  —Michelle E.

  Day: average girl.

  Night: gaming addict.

  —Miranda C.

  Live in Arkansas; parents aren’t related.

  —Shane G.

  School lunches by myself were best.

  —Abby J.

  Quiet personality finds its loud daily.

  —Sam S.

  Known as depressed.

  Happier every day.

  —Saskia D.

  My chemistry teacher is a hero.

  —Gabrielle R.

  I really don’t mind being autistic.

  —Lisa D.

  My 10th toenail

  finally grew back.

  —Blue L.

  Can’t find home.

  Won’t stop looking.

  —Kelsey G.

  Lost my virginity.

  It was fantastic.

  —Jessica S.

  Planted a tree

  and studied magic.

  —Leah G.

  Best friends.

  Text messages.

  Summer love.

  —Tiffany B.

  Okay with not going to prom.

  —Molly B.

  They weren’t my cup of soup.

  —Elaine W.

  Got expelled. Felt like living again.

  —Alexis G.

  I am thankful for cheap aprons.

  —Kate D.

  Met online, leaving America for him.

  —Aerith M.

  I’m looking forward to the future.

  —Paige M.

  7UP through the nose: I’m happy.

  —Ally H.

  I’m not the Katie you knew.

  —Katelyn W.

  Damn, I think it’s sorta beautiful.

  —April J.

  Honor roll. No friends. “Bright future.”

  —Anne Q.

  Proud lesbian,

  but my girlfriend isn’t.

  —Shawna C.

  Marines are stealing you from me.

  —Jasmine A.

  If not through whispers, in texts.

  —Hannah S.

  Making paper cranes, need the luck.

  —Zoe K.

  Teen version of Peter Pan syndrome.

  —Cherish R.

  Honestly,

  I hate all my friends.

  —Michelle D.

  Summer camp: alone, with Sedaris anecdotes.

  —Pearl M.

  Flautist who wants to play percussion.

  —Elise C.

  Marching band has saved my life.

  —Kristin H.

  Stole sign warning not to steal.

  —Jill D.

  High school Aspy, never really understood.

  —Mike W.

  A time machine would be nice.

  —Kelsey W.

  I still find solace in Shakespeare.

  —Kerry H.

  He said I wasn’t worth it.

  —Diana H.

  Thought I ought,

  so sought,

  wrought.

  —Lily G.

  Can’t understand:

  math,

  life,

  time,

  you.

  —Natalia J.

  Sister of five.

  Still so lonely.

  —Emily C.

  Texting in class,

  lost my phone.

  —Nicole G.

  Shepherd’s daughter.

  Hip-hop dancer.

  Wannabe assassin.

  —Ziggy D.

  Against the odds, I got out.

  —Eva C.

  Love my daddy;

  Daddy loves drugs.

  —Tristen W.

  Edward Cullen is my fictional boyfriend.

  —Adrianna B.

  I drank sweet tea and cried.

  —Allie C.

  Called me stupid,

  I’m only dyslexic.

  —Noel B.

  I thought you said you’d call.

  —Jennifer G.

  Falling apart because

  Dad’s behind bars.

  —Yumeji V.

  I always liked average boys best.

  —Macy B.

  Inspired to sing by my grandma.

  —Alysiana E.

  People survive hurricanes;

  Gustav’s not different.

  —Adelaide E.

  Two cheerleading sisters.

  I chose acting.

  —Maggie M.

  Always listening,

  but never really heard.

  —Agnes T.

  Never met him,

  but love him.

  —Grace K.

  I regret sleeping with my teacher.

  —Jordan F.

  My psychiatrist is the crazy one.

  —Scarlet J.

  School in NY; lover in AK.

  —Jeffrey C.

  Nerdy, obsessive, awkward. So much fun.

  —Samantha P.

  Slowly becoming everything that I hate.

  —Julia D.

  I gave myself a new identity.

  —India R.

  People with Down’s are more alive.

  —Adrienne B.

  Learned to play

  piano without teacher.

  —Ana G.

  Too young to hate my brothers.

  —Tirzah P.

  Life of faith,

  world of sin.

  —Sarah M.

  My true colors are very bright!

  —Alexandria Marie A.

  “The good daughter,”

  and therefore invisible.

  —Rachel B.

  Collected shot glasses since age seven.

  —Maria T.

  Girls like giant fighting robots, too.

  —Shawna F.

  God has him. I miss him.

  —Chantelle G.

  Always forgetting to bring an umbrella.

  —Freda D.

  My teacher ruined music for me.

  —Theresa H.

  Blessed with good mom and breasts.

  —Ashley L.

  Being scared has saved my life.

  —Stephanie D.

  He proposed.

  I’m fourteen.

  He’s seventeen.

  —Briana R.

  Coffee and spiders.

  Won’t ever end.

  —Jennifer F.

  Laughed at abuser’s funeral. Feel guilty.

  —Ashley P.

  I guess this is growing up.

  —Hannah T.

  Allergic to reality; compelled by fiction.

  —Ally O.

  Granddad died.

  Dad didn’t tell me.

  —Shauna J.

  Sleeping through my alarm saved me.

  —Harriet T.

  Had twins then had an abortion.

  —Brandi B.

  My words in purple print?

  Priceless.

&n
bsp; —Valarie P.

  Skinny girl in a fat body.

  —Victoria F.

  My name is my mom’s backwards.

  —Anylec S.

  Asperger’s does not define my life.

  —Mary Ellen M.

  SVA too pricey, settled for KSU.

  —Bridget E.

  Thankfully, running took over my life.

  —Marie A.

  Gay and never dated a man.

  —David S.

  Fear: losing mom.

  Faith: gaining another.

  —Cassandra F.

  Late to

  school

  every

  single

  day.

  —Mindy T.

  I’m just standing in the background.

  —Sarah B.

  You made me stronger. Thanks, rapist.

  —Alyssa Z.

  Born in transit;

  been there since.

  —Sasha F.

  Play blues guitar, it’ll pan out.

  —Jace C.

  Chicken Soup for the Obese Soul.

  —Wesley T.

  I have given myself 1,131 injections.

  —Jamie S.

  You chose pot,

  I chose poetry.

  —Sara M.

  Anything

  but monotone.

  I am Technicolor.

  —Nancy B.

  Born thyroidless, but God’s healing me.

  —Alisha W.

  Tried being reasonable. Now I’ll rebel.

  —Amanda L.

  Always helping others. Never helping myself.

  —Alexandra S.

  Black parents gave birth: white child.

  —Amber M.

  I think I fell in love.

  —Jody V.

  Found out I had cancer.

  Damn.

  —Cornelius L.

  I told him everything. Big mistake.

  —Lindsay B.

  A boy wizard saved my life.

  —Rebecca G.

  Family falls apart after mom dies

  —Caroline C.

  Living with asthma for 18 years.

  —Ashley H.

  Never complete

  without whiskey and pen.

  —Moriah C.

  Always all-county, never all-state.

  —Lena B.

  I’ve

  only

  been

  stable

  four

  months.

  —Lily S.

  It was an honest mistake,

  really.

  —Sophie K.

  Jesus saves, my ass. Comma justified.

  —Hali H.

  I lied: I was a virgin.

  —Abby S.

  You blog. I bottle it up.

  —Yolandra B.

  Me plus brother equals total disaster.

  —Zachary M.

  The fireworks were gone by then.

  —Emily V.

  Been kissed once. High school dare.

  —Ebony L.

  I’m only

  popular

  during summer camp.

  —Beatrice M.

  I walked on eggshells;

  they cracked.

  —Katie N.

  I know they wanted a boy.

  —Jacqulin K.

  Token Asian, fat friend. Lovin’ it.

  —Jenny S.

  “Mom, you laughing at me?”

  “Yes.”

  —Annie C.

  You’re gone, and I’m still praying.

  —Jose D.

  I need out of Ohio. Bad.

  —Kate P.

  Met him once.

  Changed me forever.

  —Juliah D.

  I lost more than my innocence.

  —Angela G.

  Hair’s pink to piss you off.

  —Stephanie N.

  Wrote a song. Not for you.

  —Ethan H.

  She’s prettier,

  but I have personality

  —Keerthana J.

  Basically, all I want is Yale.

  —Ashley S.

  “Good son” was really “bad son.”

  —Kenneth O.

  The distance

  could never

  break us.

  —Lindie D.

  Still ride shopping carts down stairs.

  —Julia F.

  You have to earn your beers.

  —Katie W.

  He’s my blue box, cheesy romantic.

  —Lisa Marie H.

  Lost myself for popular kids’ approval.

  —Kimberly G.

  Stepmom cheated.

  I can’t stand her.

  —Jocelyn M.

  I love you.

  Stop selling weed.

  —Kat J.

  She’s 37.

  I’m 17.

  It’s good.

  —Phil S.

  Couldn’t sing so played the drums.

  —Rachel M.

  They say Oreo. I say raceless.

  —Loren W.

  Read the thesaurus on the toilet.

  —Dan R.

  Swerved off road, but kept driving.

  —Khalil M.

  Only born because older sister died.

  —Lyra W.

  Chose happiness over anger and hate.

  —Samsara R.

  Because the chicken is a nonconformist.

  —Dillon W.

  Was pregnant.

  Lost it.

  His fault.

  —Yesenia I.

  It was love at first sight.

  —Vanessa K.

  My weird elbows make me special.

  —Julie W.

  Smoke detectors taught me to cook.

  —Ivy V.

  The fun came before the awkward.

  —Lacey M.

  Life was complete.

  Then thunder struck.

  —Melissa D.

  The exits

  were entrances

  in disguise.

  —Shannon B.

  His abuse made me respect myself.

  —Lindsey E.

  I found my sister in college.

  —Natalie G.

  Learned that sometimes friends aren’t forever.

  —Victoria L.

  Change my mind, change the world.

  —Vanessa M.

  Lost my shoes.

  Found winged sandals.

  —Kily W.

  I’m still living in my past.

  —Verushka C.

  Remember your voice. Wish I couldn’t.

  —Kelsey L.

  A purring cat makes everything better.

  —Callista W.

  Family night is secretly my favorite.

  —Lindsey D.

  Too boring

  to contribute

  anything worthwhile…

  —Kajhal M.

  Bulimic, obese.

  Not what I expected.

  —Jasmine K.

  That river trip forever changed me.

  —Cora C.

  Loved college until I got there.

  —Adrienne W.

  Waiting indefinitely for life to begin.

  —Jocelyn P.

  Cheer captain and

  valedictorian:

  stereotype annihilator.

  —Laura R.

  Fell down,

  got up,

  kept dreaming.

  —Megan K.

  He’s twenty, twice jailed,

  and perfect.

  —Jasmin M.

  Still wishing for (ctrl+z) undo command.

  —Joanna L.

  I am falling with the redwoods.

  —Violet H.

  Destroyed brick walls

  with bloody fists.

  —Jared R.

  You wanted me aborted. How sad.

  —Thaise B.

  Burnbook I wrote ruined my life.

  �
�Cassa P.

  I won’t need photographs to remember.

  —Paige M.

  Nine siblings.

  Two families.

  One me.

  —Lynn C.

  Everything’s done for that college application.

  —Elizabeth C.

  —Stephanie M.

  Measured out my life in literature.

  —Jessica S.

  I can’t keep my own secrets.

  —Catriona E.

  ADD, OCD. Sucks to be me.