Woes of a Teenager

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“Keep that smile on your face.”

I tell myself this day to day

“How come you are so nice?”

It feels better than being mean, I say

Yet I don’t say, I think

For I’m that happy person, yet I’m on the brink

Of disaster.

 

Worries purge my happiness from within

Am I at a good weight? Too fat? Too thin?

Will I be able to afford my tuition?

Is my résumé in good condition?

What if my scores don’t make the cut?

Why does everyone think I’m a slut?

All of the woes of a teenager, it’s insane

These thoughts wreak havoc upon my brain.

Yet I don’t let it show

Don’t you know? That would be

A disaster

 

If I showed how I feel on the outside,

I would be so negative, it’s why I hide

It under a layer of joyous energy, while

Adorned with a crooked-yet-honest smile.

 

And while some say it’s bad to hide behind a mask,

By pretending to be happy, I sometimes actually feel so

Why feel sad, even on the outside, I ask?

Why, when you can feel the glow

Of an actual grin?

That’s not a sin.

 

Maybe pretending to be happy,

Can be my therapy

A detox for my sadness, not social suicide

I mean, if I showed my sorrow on the outside

Now that would be

A disaster

Comments

Rebekah LeAda

Way to really point out some of the biggest struggles for teenagers! Especially for boys, I've noticed. I'm glad that you can use poetry as an outlet.

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