Harmless

Harmless

by Shazell Robinson-Hardy

 

Poetry, Heard/Alexandria Detention Center writing contest, July 2022

 

Stuck in a silent asylum screamin

“God come save me, they trying to tame me!”

“Where are ya?”

Since birth I been the problem,

 34 years of drama,

A lifetime of trauma,

Born from my momma I was bred a goner,

So the weed it keeps me calmer,

While I’m still waiting on karma to convince my father,

That the shit I can’t explain is a result of the pain that’s

running through my veins,

And it done made it to brain,

Now it’s driving me insane so I don’t abide,

That’s why they won’t let me outside,

They get quiet as soon as I arrive,

Cuz she’s afraid of me,

She constantly blaming me,

He calling me crazy,

He’s lazy,

He never phazed me,

She always hated me,

Ever since I was a baby,

Tired of lies so as long as I am alive imma a create a riot,

And be a lover,

Servant of God,

A dedicated mother,

Because I’m passionate,

but I think irrational-ly,

and I attack so casual-ly,

Constant change but nothing stays the same,

So I must not trust ya,

Patient and kind until I fully analyze your disguise,

Then it’s back to your demise,

The remnants of a wicked history,

Sickness is from the misery,

Of witnessing the bigotry,

Through the eyes of young child wonderin why,

It was foul,

Hated to see my grandma cry,

But one can only do what you allow,

I bet they won’t try it right now,

And if I never make her proud I know she still loves me regardless,

So even though I’ve been living heartless,

Imma help her show the world that I’m harmless.