In the Eyes of My Mother

Teen Boy

IN THE EYES OF MY MOTHER

In the eyes of my Mother,

I am a failure.

I am a juvenile punk

In the eyes of my Mother

I am a low-life punk.

I am not the son she knew.

I want to change

In the eyes of my Mother.

Published in I Am From, November 2007

What Seems

Teen Girl

WHAT SEEMS

You’ve seen me as many things

As a groovy chick

Who’s fierce and bad.

You’ve seen me as a bad thing

Sad and lonely

Mean and sketchy

You’ve seen me in good times

Chill and gravy

Fun and carefree.

But have you seen me

As the real me?

So many defenses to block you out

Because inside I’m really scared.

I love my Mom and sister

I don’t want to do these things.

My home’s perfect

I should stay there more often.

My heart longs for some stability

And I don’t mean a boy

I care too much to go on like this anymore

So, can you see the real me?

Published in Because I Wanted to Be Loved, January 2009. 

I Am From

Teen Girl

I AM FROM

I am from…

            A tweeker shak raided astrew.

There’s nothing I can do.

I am from…

            A closet smoke reeking through

I can’t even move.

I am from…

A place and color called Blue

Kicking it with my crew.

I am from…

            A broken and shattered home

Where jail’s always the end.

I am from…

            The corner selling shards where         

Lives always end.

I am from the dark…

            Where evil lurks.

 I am from the streets…

Where people get murked

I am from the other side…

Where people cry

I turn my face and hide cuz…

I know that I should have died

I am from this thing called…

Methamphetamine.

Published in Call it Courage. August 2006.