dream killers.

her mother warned her about a lot of things

looking left and right before crossing the street

don't reveal personal information to strangers

cut off toxic people in your life

bigoted people

and dream killers

she thought they were supernatural beings

ghost-like, creeping into your room at night

swallowing my whimsical dreams with darkness

but they weren't

they were every day people

the art teacher who showed her sketches that looked like photographs

that girl who told her that her ideas sucked

the boy in swim team, who outswam everyone

even her own parents

who told her that she couldn't make a living off art.

and herself

who listened to their dark whispers into her ear

and became her own dream killer.

one of the most tragic things about life-

is a child's dreams being broken