If you hustle, there is always loss

you burn a hole

where your energy used to be

a 2-minute match

a box of faith

lit in the dark.

the last conversation that spoke to me

was the one I had with myself

you can sell

you can make yourself large or small

squeeze into spaces that

rob you of air

you can talk until you are bored of talking

for a purpose that is not your purpose

you can rehash old ideas

or use them to inspire your own.

you can try to convince

or you can have the confidence that does not need convincing

desperation, demanding more

robs a hustler

something strange happens when you stop reaching for glitter

people will try to take from you

they will try to hustle you

but you don’t need them

you don’t need outside of yourself

your box of matches

lights on the inside

warming you

from the cold world

from the cold-blooded people

from those who continuously take

and use.

It’s okay to stop playing this game,

the hustler’s game.

you might not get ahead

and you might lose

you might disappear

never to be seen

again

your invisibility

feeds your fire

so, you can stop trying to burn down the forest.