'Round Here

You see, 'round here,

There's too much violence

'Round here,

There's too many cars and electronics

Too much public displays of affection

'Cause 'round here,

A family reunion is for the rare occasions of a family member's death

'Round here,

There's too much action in the streets instead of the actions of a parent teaching their kid the right way

Oh, but 'round here,

Most mothers and fathers would rather see their kids wearing $100 shoes instead of teaching them things they won't learn in school

And that's even saying if they'll be in school for more than 10 years

Because their children might end up like them,

A then, part-time job, now full time employee of a place where they hate but cannot leave because they're expecting a baby

Because their parents didn't teach them that sex is sacred

.And if they do decide to have sex, to use protection

So They can prevent from having STDs or a baby or heartbreak

just because you have sex, it doesn't mean that the person you're with loves you

'Round here,

Love sometimes means nothing

'Round here,

Love is said but none is shown

A mother or father says they love their child,

But that suddenly changes when their priorities isn't their child,

But for a little bit of drugs that consumes their bodies

Now you see, 'round here,

Drugs are easy to come by

But it's one thing to chose them over your child

And it's another thing to have children under these conditions

But ‘round here,

Another teen pregnancy is just passed off to the side like it’s not a big issue anymore because kids can do whatever they want

At least that's what I've been told by most of these kids

And notice how I say kids when I talk about someone eligible to go to jail or smoke cigarettes

‘Round here, an adult is a 15 year old single parent

But that's not an adult

That's a kid forced to be something they cannot be nor understand until their 30

But I don't think none of that matters ‘round here

Because ‘round here,

a career is a 7 and a half dollar job at a fast food restaurant

‘Round here,

There's no shame but there are shunnings

We're all slow to progress our lives but we're quick to judge another person for being a human with mistakes

Because there's a difference in being a bad parent and a struggling parent

A difference in someone who drinks a little and someone who's always a little too drunk

A difference in a smoker and an addict

A difference in giving discipline and bring an abuser

'Round here, these things are seen as more of similar than a difference between right and wrong and sometimes wrong for right reasons

'Round here is nothing but constant cycling of a parent doing there best for their kids but the parent never knows enough so the kid grows up to be like their mothers or fathers

But once in awhile there's that one kid

That one child that notices what's going on 'round here and acts on it

This child has the whole world in their hands when they want to change how things are 'round here

Be that child

Be the metaphorical man who has this world in his or her hands and break this cycle of violence, drug abuse, dumb choices, no protection, and harm

The whole world is in your hands now

Do your best because if you can break the cycle,

You're already one step ahead of the people 'round here

 
This poem is about: 
My community

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