INNER CITY STORIES

I often ask myself what's my purpose here on earth

What will be my life’s work, reflecting my personal worth

Maybe I'm only here to remain alone and in the background 

Not meant to be the cool kid or the class clown 

People always knocking me down 

Everywhere I go things turn dramatic 

Keep my feelings locked inside my mind’s deep attic 

Every time I turn my feelings loose I choke up and panic

As if I'm asthmatic 

Stay locked up in a room, becoming erratic

While my mind keeps telling me I'm no good -- it's so problematic 

I don’t understand why this depression persists, it's truly traumatic 

When people keep asking me if I'm okay 

My mind turns frantic

I simply reply, "I'm fine"

Now isn't that tragic?

Gave up long ago measuring the loss and the gain 

Take a look in my eyes and you'll see all the pain

Mixed in with sorrow, all bottled up inside 

This inner voice saying, just crawl in a hole and die

I'm not settling for all this depression, though 

I'm trying to shake the past, but I just can't let it go  

I’ve made mistakes I can't fix, and that hurts to know 

I can't decide how to feel or what to do anymore 

I'm so used to being on the down and low 

Feeling like just another mediocre Joe 

I tell my mind to stop thinking like this, but it just says no 

I'm confused, lonely, bruised -- always feeling abused 

I write this poetry so other people might be moved 

Showing they’re not the only ones who think they’re doomed Locked up and entombed inside a dark room 

Thoughts in our heads making us want to explode 

Feeling the onset of yet another depressive episode 

Picking our scars to guide others through the dark 

While our hearts are being slowly torn apart