Statistics

Let me tell you a little bit about the people you pass by every day- in school, in the drugstore, in the mall, on the street, in your one home
See, it is difficult for the mind to comprehend large numbers so I’ll tell this to you simply
Picture the lunch table you last sat at
You think you know the people pretty well, right?
Did you know that 1 out of 5 of those friends suffer from depression?
Did you know that it is most likely the girl with the pretty pink dress and a smile on her face?
Did you ever stop and ask them how they are and why they’re so quiet that day?

Now, picture the last class you sat in
Take a good look around
You know their names
But most likely not their stories
1 in 20 of your classmates have lived through the death of one or both of their parents
1 in 20 of these people you sit with for 45 minutes a day does not celebrate mother’s day or father’s day

Next, imagine yourself in your bed, under the covers, soft and warm
Don’t lie, you take that for granted, admit it
Now try and imagine the entire Nevada population; all 2 million of them
That is how many people on any given night have no bed to sleep in, no roof over their head
No home

Think of the cutest child you've ever seen
Think of their contagious laugh, their smile, the way they mispronounce simple words
1 in 10 children are abused
80% of children that die under the age of 4 die from being abused
These kids are innocent!
What could they do to make someone so mad that they deserved to be hurt?
A child is full of potential
A child has a future and no one has the right to take that away

We've all been in hospitals and we all know the ridiculous amounts of money that doctors pocket to play multiple rounds of golf and drink multiple rounds of Friday night booze
Thanks to these wonderful beings, 4 in 25 cannot pay to save their baby’s life of make their dying grandfather more comfortable
It costs about $5,400 for one night in a hospital bed
Imagine what someone could do with that money! Imagine how many children could be fed, how many lives could be turned around, how many homes could be saved from foreclosure
But instead this money is put in the hands of doctors who think they have the right to play god

We've all heard that it gets better
But this does not stop the playground bullies from picking on someone who is different even though differences are beauty and originality is beauty and homogeneity is overrated
1 in 7 will be bullied for the clothes they wear, the way they wear their hair, their sexuality and about every other thing in the world that is unique to a person
Kids, teenagers, even adults are 9 times more likely to commit suicide if they are bullied
So the next time you want to make fun of someone, even as a joke
Stop
Because the next words you say could kill and yes words do have that power so use them carefully
And if you do use your words for the bad, and you say them and mean to hurt, you might as well hold yourself responsible for Tyler Clementi’s death and Billy Lucas’ death
Chose your words wisely

So what‘s my point?
My point is that everyone worries and obsesses over the insignificant problems
Hopefully, this will make you think twice before you complain over a stain on your Uggs or cry over sold-out concert tickets
My point is that society often does not take into consideration someone else’s life
They just assume that it’s filled with rainbows and that they bake cookies with grandma every Wednesday night
Because to the naked eye, their life is perfect
The broken are very skilled in the way they hide

Comments

jwiener

This is such an amazing poem, and I loved how you actually spoke directly to the reader! You bring about so many issues that affect people everyday, that many people need to be made more aware of, and you could definitely change many people's lives with this poem. Maybe think of submitting it to your school or somewhere you could have it published so that you can enlighten even more people about these issues!

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