I was born on July 27th. I hear

that makes me a Leo. I have

no idea what that means.

I'm 5'6

and a half,

I weigh one hundred and seventy-five pounds,

I don't know how to swim,

I'm a sucker for a girl with a nice smile

and clean sneakers. I'm still learning

how to whisper, I'm loud in places

where I should be quiet, I'm quiet

in places where I should be loud,

I was born feet first and I've been

backwards ever since. I like ginger ale.

A lot.

I've been told that I give really bas hugs.

People say it feels like I'm trying to escape.

Sometimes it's because I am.

I get really nervous every time someone

gets close enough to hear me breathe.

I have a off fascination with sandcastles

and ice sculptures:

things that will only last a few moments.

That's also why I fall in love with women

who will never love me back.

I know it sounds crazy,

but it's actually much easier than it seems

and I think it's safer that way.

Relationships remind me that I'm not afraid

of heights or falling, but I'm afraid of what's

going to happen

when my body hits the ground.

I'm clumsy. Yesterday I tripped

over my self-esteem, landed on my pride

and it shattered like an iPhone

with a broken face. Now I can't even tell

who's trying to give me a compliment.

Sometimes, I wonder what my bedsheets say

about me when I'm not around.

I wonder what the curtains would do

if they found out about all the things

I've done behind their backs.

I've got a hamper full of really loud mistakes

and a graveyard in my closet.

I'm afraid if I let you see my skeletons,

you'll grind the bones into powder

and get high on my fault lines.

I've never been in the military,

but I have a purple heart:

I got it from beating myself up

over things I can't fix.

Some days I forget that my skin

is not a panic room.

Hi. My name is Rudy.

I enjoy frozen yogurt,

people-watching, and laughing

for absolutely no reason at all,

but I don't allow myself to cry

as often as I need to.

I have solar-powered confidence

and a battery-operated smile.

My hobbies include: editing my life story,

hiding behind metaphors,

and trying to convince my shadow

that I'm someone worth following.

I don't know much,

but I do know this:

Heaven is full of music,

and God listens to my heartbeat

on his iPod. It reminds him

that we still got work to do.