Powerless
In the face of the world
Huge menacing
Unbridled cruelty
Cuddled, I was
In the arms of my parents
For years
Brought up
Pruned and clean
Taught to
Recite
And keep my mouth shut
A huge mansion
I came home to every day
A chef-made snack waiting for me
A pencil laid out for my homework
My life spooned into my mouth
Cooed words of my uniqueness
My importance
Once my purpose,
Attending school
Earning A’s,
Changed
The world was unleashed upon me
And I was rendered
Powerless
In the face of the world
Huge menacing
Unbridled cruelty
Tossed into the street
The dank alley
Before I could speak words
To express my pain
For years
Taught to
Fight
Use my fists and my feet
To inflict harm
Upon those
And there were many
Who deserved it
So many
The clothes upon my back
Were all I could keep
To myself
Was that selfish?
Living in a cardboard box
In a drug dealer’s alley
Once my purpose,
Following my parents
Unquestioningly,
Changed
The world was different
And I saw only the good things
Because I had
Done my time
The storm was past