Civil War

It's amazing,
The power we all have
To destroy anything,
That walks into our paths.
In our schools,
They keep searching for guns,
They keep looking for bombs,
But the worst weapon?
Is the one contained by us all.

The power of words,
And the danger of self harm,
The loudness of a scar,
That runs down a kids arm.

You see the problem starts with me,
When I stare at myself and don't know who I see.
Why do I look in the mirror and think,
Is this who I want to be?
Why should society allow this,
For every body deserves one thing:
Self Identity.

I can't take this anymore,
The looks and the stares.
I can't handle the pressure,
That comes with responsibility of being the one for everyone,
When it feels like there's no one for me.
I just want to be free,
Of this pain on my shoulders.
I can't keep holding on much longer,
I never believed I could move boulders.

Then again, who am I to say?
Why can I think that way,
As I'm gifted to live another day.
Realizing I am allowed to bend,
But I will not break.

I like to think that I'm a good guy.
And to be honest I'm alright.
However take a close look,
And see the cracks and where I'm shattered.
I might as well be the mirror I look into,
And I can't glue the pieces together.
War is just another puzzle.
And there's no solution.

I keep trying to fight my demons,
To stick up for myself.
Maybe one day I'll be stronger than them.
And one day I can stand up on two limbs.
Maybe one day, I'll feel confident as I stand on a stage.

But for now,
I'm left in the dark.
But a pen and a light,
And I know where to start.

The Letters and words we write hold so much power,
D, C, or maybe an A, B
Or maybe I see the F,
Circled in red.
And I start home,
Thinking I'm dead.
I just cant believe,
What my teacher just said.

"You're not good enough...
You can do better."
But can I choose to believe,
In a simple letter?
I just used 26 to change the minds of my peers for the better.

So who is society to decide,
Who you are and who you are not.
Why let others choose when it's okay to be happy and it's okay to be sad.
Aren't you the one, who's either ungrateful or glad?

The choice is up to you,
And where you choose to stand.
You see a civil war,
Is the battle at hand.
But as you wake up every morning,
And try to plan your day,
I'm here to now tell you,
You won't always know the words to say.
You see, you're not fighting with them.
This isn't a fight between different people,
This isn't between two sides.

The battle is between you,
To choose what you think is right.
Are you an athlete, a scholar?
When will you decide to stand taller?

I'm ready to give in,
I'm ready to quit it all.
I'm ready to walk off this stage.
But whether you all rise or fall,
I spoke my mind.
I may be different, I may be odd, but I'm one of a kind and when I leave I hope one thing stays behind.

This isn't a fight between you and them,
It's a battle between you and you.
And you'll only find out who you are,
And what you can be,
When you declare the winner,
From the civil war beneath.

Comments

Additional Resources

Get AI Feedback on your poem

Interested in feedback on your poem? Try our AI Feedback tool.
 

 

If You Need Support

If you ever need help or support, we trust CrisisTextline.org for people dealing with depression. Text HOME to 741741