by Lauren Aitken
Photography by Chris Lawton, via Unsplash
Chameleon
There’s a difference.
An unfamiliar laugh, a reminder?
A passion not found within,
But witnessed. Observing,
Waiting for the next change.
Who is she?
A relatable story, woven together like a tapestry.
Fragile.
Reading their faces, choosing words carefully
So as to appease them.
Charming and warm, with a devious glance.
Snake
How can they be so foolish?
To think I could ever love what you love.
You give yourself to me unknowingly,
Carelessly.
Vulnerable
Steady.
There’s safety in familiarity,
In words.
It’s the way you’ve always been:
Make sure they feel safe and relevant.
Neglecting your needs.
Neglecting yourself.
Are you for real? This is no way to live.
Change
We don’t value the same things,
We don’t share the same knowledge.
I’m not you.
Yet I can’t continue to be me.
The negativity, the lies, the despair.
Live
Set your goals, prepare your mind.
It will be a challenge, oh there’s no doubting it.
Chameleon, Snake, Vulnerable:
The old me, the old she.
Lauren Aitken
Lauren is a freelance video game journalist and University of Glasgow alumni specialising in linguistics and medieval literature. Lauren lives with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) and an eating disorder which makes life infinitely more varied. When she’s not either writing about or playing video games she is pontificating on Twitter or taking photos of her cat, Steve.
When asked to describe herself, Lauren said, “side-eye extraordinaire; Ginger; Gamer; Cat Enthusiast; Witcher aficionado; Tattoo collector; Quick-witted and vertically challenged. I really like cats, gin and narrative-driven RPG’s. Fight me in real life.”
