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TEEN POETS: Poems by Teens for Teens

Being a teenager is a complicated business and Teen Poets write some of the most
intense poems. The teenage years are a time when we experience some of life's most
difficult issues for the first time. Teens are dealing with adult problems without any
valuable past experiences to guide their decisions.

1) It’s me

I come with no wrapping or pretty pink bows.

I am who I am, from my head to my toes.
I tend to get loud when speaking my mind.
Even a little crazy some of the time.
I'm not a size S and don't care to be.
You can be you and I can be me.
I try to stay strong when pain knocks me down.
And the times that I cry are when no one's around.
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To error is human or so that's what they say.

Well, tell me who's perfect anyway.

By S Raine, 2010

2) Can anybody hear me?

I want someone to hold me,

But I'm the only one here.
I want someone to listen to me,
But I'm the only ear.

Can anybody hear me?

Does anybody care?
Does anybody even know
I'm dealing with despair?

There are voices in my mind

Saying I should die.
Will anybody even tell me
They're only just a lie?

Does anybody love me?

Would they shed a tear?
Would anybody even care
If I were to disappear?

The ones who preach friendship

Have left me all alone.
The ones who are not here
Promised not to let me go.
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Can anybody see me?

Does anybody care?
Does anybody even know
The burden that I bear?

I've built up this wall

To hide who I am,
And now that I need help,
I'm alone behind it all.

Can you see the real me?

Will you even try?
Can you even tell I need
A break in the wall tonight?

I'm crying all alone,

Not sure what to do.
Please just let me know
That at least I still have you.

By Katie Elliott, 2016

3) Help me

Hear my cries. I need your help.

Please come save me from myself.

Be my friend, a guiding light.

Give me strength to do what's right.

Find my heart. I've lost my way.

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Tell me I will be okay.

Feel my pain and catch my tears.

Help me conquer all these fears.

Let my silence speak to you.

Find some way to help me through.

Put yourself into my shoes.

And just like me, you'll be confused.

By Elizabeth Shears- 2011

4) One thing to say

There's only one thing I could ever say,

about the way I felt that day.
The day we sat with coloring books,
and kept laughing at our funny looks.
A memory forever imprinted in my soul,
the only one I'll ever have, since you've lost control.

There's only one thing I could ever say,

about the way I felt that day.
The day you hurt me for the first time,
and made me think breathing was a punishable crime.
A memory I'd give anything to trade;
The day my mother started to fade.
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There's only one thing I could ever say,

to describe how I hated every day.
The days I waited up all night,
because I couldn't sleep until you made it home alright.
A memory of mine you never even knew,
because when you arrived, I'd hide and avoid you.

There's only one thing I could ever say,

to express how you made me cry that day.
The screaming and hate I saw in your eyes,
wasn't my mother, but an effect of her highs.
A memory that haunts and refuses to decay.
and you don't even remember it, anyway.

There's nothing I could ever say,

to tell you how I feel today.
The pain in my heart that I'll never get used to,
because it's illegal for me to speak to you.
I love you, though you've never believed it;
through your anger, your hate, and temperamental fits.

There's nothing you could ever say,

to make the pain all go away.
I'll remember you for who you were,
from early memories of jumbled blur.
I miss my mother, and all she could have been,
if she hadn't let alcohol let her life cave in.

By Chaise Taylor- 2016

5) Wounding Words
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Living in fear, day in and day out,

"Leave me alone," I just want to shout.
When you call me names like stupid and fool,
I don't understand, why are you so cruel?

My stomach hurts, my heart's beating fast,

'Cause nobody likes me; I'm always picked last.
The smile I once had on my face is now gone,
I'm all alone, never had anyone.

I can't wipe out the tears that I've cried,

I'm torn and broken, bleeding inside.
The wounds won't heal, scars won't go away,
I just cannot take this another day.

Nobody hears my voice when I scream

That things aren't always the way they seem.
A smile could conceal a very deep fear,
A thing that seems distant could be very near.

I'm sitting here alone in the rain,

Writing this poem and crying in pain.
They say words don't hurt, but I know that they do;
Please stop bullying me, I'm begging you.

After five long years of torment the bullying finally stopped.

It wasn't until then that my mood seriously dropped.
The memories haunted me, the words ringing in my ears,
And I became more and more afraid of my peers.

The pain consumed me, as I drowned in despair,

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The feelings overwhelmed me; my heart felt beyond repair.

I couldn't take it anymore; I didn't know how to cope.
I didn't want to live; I had lost all hope.

To teachers and parents, I want to say this:

It's too late to save me,
but please save other kids.

By Martine Indroy- 2021

6) After You're Gone

I want to paint a picture;

it's a scene that you should see.
If you decide to end your life,
what becomes of your family?

First, someone has to find you.

It will be a haunting sight,
Filled with panic and hysteria,
Screaming out in fright.

Maybe they will find you

Before you're actually dead.
Instead of going to the morgue, 
A hospital instead.

To the tiny hope that you'll survive,

They'll cling with all their might
Until a doctor tells them sorrowfully
You won't make it through the night. 

The next few days will be a blur.

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A funeral is planned,
People come from out of town,
Neighbors lend a hand.

The house is full of people

To console your mom and dad.
Your little sister sits alone,
Feeling lost, confused, and sad.

But then the house gets quiet,

After everyone has gone,
They'll try to fill the silence,
Find a way to carry on.

They'll do their best to live their life,

The way it was before.
They'll eat their dinners at the table,
But there’s no talking anymore.

Soon your parents will start fighting.

Their marriage begins to wilt.
They'll cast blame upon each other,
Yet be consumed with their own guilt.

Your sister will feel lonely,

As your parents try to cope.
She wants to be a family,
But she's starting to lose hope.

Fast forward two years down the road,

Your sister's skipping class,
Your father looks for comfort
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In the bottom of a glass.

Your mom uses medication

To try and ease her pain.
Pops pills by the handful,
She will never be the same.

A house once filled with love and laughter,

Feels cold and dark and sad.
Your sister's full of anger
Because you took her mom and dad.

Soon your dad stops coming home at night,

Your mom leaves her room no more.
Your sister's desperate cries for help
Are unheard behind closed doors.

Then your sister gives up fighting,

Can no longer stand the strife.
If only you were there,
You could probably save her life.

Your family now is shattered,

And it started all with you.
The loss of 1 child crushed them,
And now they have lost 2.

So before deciding to end your life,

I hope that you can see
The tragic ending of your family
Is what will come to be.
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You see a family is like a puzzle,

An imperfect piece of art.
If you start removing pieces,
Soon the whole thing falls apart.

But this picture that I've painted,

Full of darkness, death, and dread,
Still has a chance to replace
With a happy one instead.

There are people who will help you,

You just have to use your voice.
At least give them a chance,
Before you make a deadly choice.

By Shelby N. Merchen- 2021

7)Death

They put me in the oven to bake.

Me, a deprived and miserable cake.
Feeling the heat, I started to bubble.
Watching the others, I knew I was in trouble.

They opened the door and I started my life.

Frosting me with a silver knife,
Decorating me with candy jewels.
The rest of my batch looked like fools.

Lifting me up, she took off my wrapper.

Feeling the breeze, I wanted to slap her.
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Opening her mouth with shiny teeth inside,

This was the day this cupcake died.

8) You Will Never See Me Fall

You may see me struggle,

but you won't see me fall.
Regardless if I'm weak or not,
I'm going to stand tall.
Everyone says life is easy,
but truly living it is not.
Times get hard,
people struggle
and constantly get put on the spot.
I'm going to wear the biggest smile,
even though I want to cry.
I'm going to fight to live,
even though I'm destined to die.
And even though it's hard
and I may struggle through it all,
you may see me struggle...
but you will NEVER see me fall.

9) Thank You!

A friend like you is hard to find,

one that touches you deep inside.
You've given me strength to carry on,
you've offered your hand to hold on.
When times are tough, I know you're there
to offer support and show you care.
If not for you, I would have drowned,
but you help keep me on solid ground.
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I believe you were sent from the man above

because he knows the strength of your love.
You show that love in so many ways.
It helps me get through my darkest of days.
So for that, I write this poem for you
and tell you from my heart, THANK YOU!

10) Imagine

Imagine yourself
Alone in your head.
You're hanging, dangling
From a silver thread.

Empty, alone
With the monsters within.
Internally screaming,
You just want to give in.

Now imagine that's you

Every day, every hour.
Forever sinking
Like a wilting flower.

You try to tell your dad

And you try to tell your mom,
But they say you're being silly,
You've just got to move on.

Because teens don't know sorrow

Nor the hardships of life.
They're just kids with imaginations
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Just looking for attention, right?

You think that there's none

Who knows how you feel.
You're just so alone,
But the feelings- they're real.

Useless,
Neglected,
Forgotten,
Distressed.

Alone,
Afraid,
But mostly
Depressed.

And you're friends,

They go on
Like nothing has changed.

"They must not care,"

Your thoughts whisper,
The lies in your brain.

You can't escape it,

Trapped in your own skin.
You're ugly,
You're hated,
But you mask it with a grin.

You hate what you feel,

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So instead you feel nothing.

Your insides are numb,
Your confidence crumbling.

You look to other things

To stop the pain.
Cutting, pills,
But it gives you no gain.

And the people around you

Shout abuse your way.
"You're hurting yourself, stop it!"
That's all they ever say.

No matter how you plead

That you're broken inside,
They turn the other way,
They run, they hide.

They say you're just foolish,

It's all in your head.
What they don't know is inside
You're already dead.

By Shelby S. 2013