Surviving



                                      Surviving

     Why do people always want to know what I’m doing with my life or where I’m living?  
     They say that I don’t know what I want to do and that my life is a waste; I better figure it out  soon.
Well, this is what I say:

     Have you ever walked in my shoes, been loved and been hated?
    Were you born to my mother, and did you suffer what I suffered on a daily?
    Were you burned by fire? Did you see the flame?
    Were you scorned by your peers?
I tell you what, it hurts just the same.
    Just one more mental anguish to overcome ALONE!
    Were you violated as a child by those who didn’t know you and those who did?
    Did you fight for love and for life even though you were just a kid?
    Did you think of suicide although you were too young to comprehend the cause and effect?
    Did you understand its severity and what it really meant?
    Did you have no self-esteem, because no one ever told you what it was?
    Did you wander the streets aimlessly, lost and confused through all the drama and the drugs?
    You see, I am that I am and I will continue to do what I do…

Searching for a higher power, to help get me through
   each day
Understanding who I am, and that each night I have to
   pray
Realizing the realities of a harsh world
Visualizing a better future
Increasing my chances for success, by gaining more
   knowledge with an open mind  
Venerate my elders, respect them, and honor them
Imperfect, understanding that I am
Never giving up on myself, or those I love
Guiding those that I can

So, you want to know what I’m doing in my life,

                                 I Am Surviving!

By: Shannon M. Jenkins
Date: May 10, 2000
Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Written on May 10, 2000

Submitted by smmjenkins44 on June 07, 2022

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:43 min read
5

Quick analysis:

Scheme AXB XXCXCXDDXXXXE EBEBXXXXXXXX X A XB
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 1,764
Words 346
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 3, 13, 12, 1, 1, 2

Discuss the poem Surviving with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Surviving" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/128806/surviving>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    More poems by

    Shannon Jenkins

    »

    March 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    7
    hours
    28
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote the poem ״Invictus״?
    A Thomas Hardy
    B Sylvia Plath
    C William Ernest Henley
    D Oscar Wilde