The Reality of Teens

Location

10462
United States
40° 50' 17.7072" N, 73° 51' 23.7924" W

Once a little girl
Full of life
Nothing brought me down
I was always happy

Not a care in the world
About the tragedies of life
I didn't even know they existed
At least they didn't in mine

But that's the best part of being a kid
No worries and no doubts
You don't need to know anything
Of course but to have fun

But that all changes
Once your a teen
Then you start to wonder
Who am I?

You lose yourself
That kid you once were
You start to question her
What kind of person are you?

Am I generous?
Am I selfish?
Am I an introvert?
Am I an extrovert?

I don't know
Which seems crazy
I've been myself for 15 years
But now I'm not sure

Am I being fake?
Am I the only one feeling like this?
It's so weird
The world keeps spinning but I feel like I'm frozen in time

Everyone says
High school is tough
I never knew why
But now I know it's cuz we are forced to change

With difference influences
You want to do drugs?
You want to drink?
You want to have sex?

I know the answers
Of course it's no
But if it's the right choice
Then why am I alone

I wasn't raised to be a follower
I am a leader
But every leader needs followers
And of course I'm the exception to the rule

Adults say you don't need anyone but yourself
But that's easy for them to say when they have husbands, children, and friends
No one likes to be lonely no matter what people say
We're human all we want is love

So if that's true
Why is this world so full of hate
Teenagers pick on each other to the point of committing suicide
What has this world become

I don't know
But I guess
that's why I don't know who I am
This world is so cruel

What if deep down I'm the bully
What if I'm the one being bullied
High school is like the jungle
You're either the predator or the prey theres no in between

It's sad how teenagers have to live in fear
Not only in fear of others but in fear of ourselves too
What kind of person will I become?

But I guess it's a part of the stages of life
A pupa has to be trapped in a chrysalis in order to become a butterfly
Teenagers are in the chrysalis waiting to be turned into adults

Not everyone sees it that way
But for me thinking of myself as turning into a beautiful adult makes this whole experience feel worth it

Just think about all the crazy stories you can tell your kids
I survived the teen pregnancy era
I survived the teenage drug use era
I survived the teen suicide era

It may not seem as much of an accomplishment as surviving the Holocaust
But it's still important because you were strong enough to say no when everyone else said yes

Now you may feel like a geek
Someone who isn't fun or plays it safe
But when your the CEO in a company and your friends are working in McDonalds
It all seems worth it

So remember: Worry about yourself cuz in the jungle only the strongest survive

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