Alive

By, Wendiann Alfieri

There are days

That you wake up late and rise

Rushing to brush your teeth

Spit out some blood in the sink

Splash water and wipe your dark eyes

And hoping no one cares

You hide your wear and tear 

That bruise for today is just not there

You are small

Underneath a coat

Your friend let you borrow

From three or four years ago

A disguise

At least no one will see

Those scars he left upon your  knees

You get your coffee 

Extra strong

Just so the day can move along

As you sit behind your desk at work

Smiling with ease

Because until you get home 

You won’t have people 

You have to please

We have to lie to keep ourselves in check

pretend everything

Is fine

Hoping the more we say it that it will be...

We lie 

We lie

Deep and cutthroat sometimes

We lie

We lie

Even white lies cast dark shadows

But the lies we mostly tell

Is to appease our sense of self

On the walk back home

You feel nasueous so

You go into the drug store use the bathroom and think

Something that makes your heart sink

You  don’t realize life is about fighting to the bone

futures soon are passed in stone

We have to lie to keep ourselves in check

pretend everything

Is fine

Hoping the more we say it that it will be...but we

We lie 

We lie

We lie

Deep and cutthroat sometimes

We lie

We lie

We lie

Even white lies cast dark shadows

But the lies we mostly tell

Is to appease our sense of self

So you get home later than normal

You know you’ve got to get out

Before he knows and figures out

You’re relieved 

There’s no car in front 

No stares or care from anyone

But inside

You’ve made up your mind

And you walk into the house and grab some clothes

A charger for your soon to be dead phone

You get the cash you’ve been saving

For the new apartment you’ve been wanting

But the door flies open 

And your heart just won’t stop pounding

As you run down the stairs

You almost make it out the back door

You can’t lie anymore

But you wake up

To sirens and lights

you wake up

this wasn’t the end of Your lives

so you put your hand on your head where some blood is dried and dead

you are Alive

and they tell you you’ll be ok

as your in the ambulance being driven away 

And the first thought you have

“This kid will have to do without a dad”