I’m tired of people wandering the halls with bloodshot eyes at school

I’m tired of seeing flavored pens passed around groups

I’m tired of puffs of smoke clouding the bathroom

I’m tired of not seeing immediate consequences, but I know they’ll feel it soon

I’m tired of hearing my friends laugh like it’s a joke

I’m mad that my friends think that this a joke

I’m glad they haven’t seen what I have seen but honestly 

I think it would be helpful

Maybe they could learn but

Maybe it’s already too late

That is a thought that I hate.

I’m tired of the image of my friend’s red eyes

I can hear my mother’s cry

When she got the call from my aunt that my uncle

Had passed

Do you want to guess why he died?

I can feel my chest cave when I think of my friend’s 

Lungs stained

Brains stunted

Lives broken

I can feel my chest cave just as it did when I heard my mom say that

My cousin is in the psych ward

His brother wouldn’t say the drugs that he gave 

To his little brother 

He almost died that day

Do you want to guess why that 18 year old had to be saved?

I’m tired of being so scared

I start gasping for air

When I’m thrown into a panic

Cause my friends aren’t there

Do you want to guess where 

They could possibly be? 

Why would you breathe something that isn’t air?

Is it for a laugh? As a joke?

A little prank before going home?

Well I’ve seen what you won’t hear.

The sound of your family’s tears.

Is it because you want to get away from the world?

Because something is too much to bear?

Let me tell you that, that is not fair.

Because your death, your visit to the psych ward, your stay in jail is too much for us to bear.

Us being your friends, even if you think you have none they are there.

Us being your family, no matter what it looks like, no matter where they are

Us being your teachers who see great potential

Us being the people who have your back

Us being the people who have witnessed what a joke can do

What it can turn into

Us being the people who have seen how many hearts a joke can break

Us being the people who have been hurt 1st hand for a jokes sake

You say it’s no big deal, I’ve heard it

But no matter what you say I will warn against it because my own mind has been thoroughly tested

And tempted

Tried and true are me and you but for very different reasons

I hope you won’t ignore the thoughts I’ve just seeded

We all will eventually need it.

National Drug Hotline: (844) 289-0879