Mental Illness
Lawrence S. Pertillar 1947 (Connecticut)
People who have long lived,
Refusing reality and truth as is.
To be declared stressed,
Depressed.
Misunderstood and addicted to fiction.
Although somehow,
Can afford to drug themselves up daily.
Are these days...
Depending upon demographics,
And delusions fed to feed upon...
To have had psychologists say,
Many living unexperienced youthful lives...
Have been undeserving and untentionally,
'Victimized'.
By unjustifiable,
Mental illness.
Applied without giving them time to adjust.
While others less fortunate,
Living hungry and doing their best...
To keep whatever dignity they have left,
Face on a regular basis to be called...
Lazy, unappreciative street dwellers.
Looking for a handout.
Unable to find a job or phone to call anyone.
Dramatically seek empathy to perform.
Done to do politely asking for change!
With it then to be told,
If they dressed to impress and show respect...
Maybe they would have,
Better success than choosing to live...
As street performers trying to get attention!
Pretending something is wrong.
Not with them but the system.
Intentionally meant for them,
To become tormented mentally.
'Please!
You have no idea how much my parents paid,
For me to go to college.
Get a degree.
Buy me a car.
Until I could afford,
Living in my own apartment?
That's unconditional torment.
And you,
Complain?
About issues 'you' allowed to create?
Do I look like a fool to you?
Or some spoiled brat,
Asking to be bailout of situations I made?
My parents don't have money like that.
I only have one...just one credit card.
How about you?
Let me just say this,
Before I leave you pathetically...
Thirsting for sympathy.
My grandparents,
Not able to speak a word of English...
Had to learn by themselves,
How to cook collard greens.
For a place to open a restaurant.
In a nice location.
And learned hoe to prepare and cook,
Mexican, Chinese food and pizza.
From scratch too.
Nowhere else around to be found.
Now...
You could do the same thing,
If you had motivation and acquired initiative!
And...
My grandparents didn't have a dime.
To start our family business either.
But what they did have...
Were friends that paid for their travels here.
Who knew other people to give them loans.
Some people take others for granted.
To then burn bridges to accuse everybody,
For lighting the flames on both sides.
Any of this sound familiar?
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Written on November 03, 2023
Submitted by lpahtillah on November 03, 2023
Modified by lpahtillah on November 04, 2023
- 2:23 min read
- 18 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | XXAABCDXXXXXDXXXX XAXXXXBXXXXEXBXXXD XFXDXXXXGXXGHFHXG XDDXXXXXBXXGXCXXXXIEXX XDXI |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 2,345 |
Words | 474 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 17, 18, 17, 22, 4 |
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"Mental Illness" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 11 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/172491/mental-illness>.
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