Life Lessons

Thu, 05/17/2018 - 16:14 -- Yaro04

All my life I’ve been forced to learn in a place I hate 

When all this time teaching was my fate

Not as in teaching children 

I’m too antisocial for that 

I’m talking about teaching that words have great effects

 

All my life I’ll remember that day 

I had to teach my siblings that one day it will be okay

They didn’t crack a smile they wanted to debate

I just wanted to assure them that there was a possibility 

They already knew that life was hell 

It made me have to excuse myself 

To know they went through this so early 

I shed tears for the loss of innocence and they’re not even close to thirty

 

All my life I’ll reminisce this day

When I had to teach my peers not everything is okay

Especially when it comes to what you say

As a minority I had to speak and teach them the right way

Everything you say shouldn’t be displayed

They sat in the corner yelling about Muslims and gays

I didn’t realize that day but it made me feel grey

They spewed stereotypes everyday 

I was included once and stayed quit cause even teachers need a break

I’d broken down over their racist, homophobic, transphobic, Islamophobic ways

Because I knew the idea was already set in their brains

 

All my life I’ll replay this day

When I had to teach myself, I wasn’t okay

With myself, my skin, my weight, and everything 

My courage had gotten the best of me

It was the day of my sixth-grade dance 

I was so confident I literally pranced 

In the direction of a boy and asked him if he liked me

His reply was so shocking I thought he knifed me

He said, “I can’t date you because of your skin.” 

The courage washed away I wished it had been my too dark skin

He had preferred Mexicans 

I was only about twelve yet I hated myself 

I’d developed anxiety and an aura made to repel the earth

The hardest lesson I’ve had to tech was loving myself 

And I’m still teaching it today

 

All my life I’ve wished for this day 

When I had reached the end of high school not perfect but okay

I’m close to it now and just can’t wait

To continue after this place that tortured me constantly 

I’m at the end of the road and am ready to teach 

Though this type of teaching is different for me 

I’m nearing the roads of adulthood and I’m not excited 

But I know as long as I keep teaching

I won’t be too frightened 

This poem is about: 
Me
Guide that inspired this poem: 

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