Random Poem

15th Birthday

I remember on my fifteenth birthday

Crying on the floor

Nothing-really-happened-but-my-family-wasn't-nice-to-me-and-somehow-on-my-birthday-it-was-worse-to-be-upset-so-now-they're-punishing-the-child-for-shedding-tears.

And my sister said "hey, it's your birthday!

Why are you upset?"

And-she-really-tried-to-help-but-when-it-didn't-make-it-better-she-got-overwhelmed-and-yelled-and-me-and-someone-in-the-hallway-heard-the-yelling-and-decided--

To the counselor at the school who told ten-year-old me, that I didn't really want to be okay:

Don't tell a child they have it easy.

They don't.

Don't say they're strong and powerful.

They're not.

Don't say that someday it gets better

And neglect to tell them why

'Cause-then-a-year-or-two-later-when-it-hasn't-gotten-better-and-that-hope-is-gone-

They're going to want to die.

Can you imagine if that happened?

Can you imagine what tragedy-

You can.

Because it happens

All the time.