Best Struggles Poems
Verse 1
His coat is torn his
shoes are thin
The cold cuts deep beneath his
skin
Little boy coughs small
hands that shake
Winter's breath is much to hard
To hard to take.
Verse 2
Sidewalk echoes silent
prayers
People pass but no one
cares
Cardboard kingdom borrowed
time
Every step is a mount-
Mountain climbed.
Chorus
And the city turns
away
Like they never ever knew his
name
Still he holds his boy so
close
Chorus 1st Ending
Runs through streets to bring him
home. (1x repeat back to beginning of chorus)
Chorus 2nd Ending
Whispers / "Son, we're going
home."
Verse 3
Once had a home once had a
plan
Once held hope in calloused
hands
But fate’s a thief it moves much too
fast
Dreams dissolve like breath on
Stained kissed glass.
Chorus
Bridge
And he sings a lullaby
so low
Soft as the falling falling
Angel snow
A father’s love is his sheltering
Wings of warmth
Even when the nights are
Broken broken and torn.
Verse 4
"Daddy I’m tired my chest feels
tight"
His voice is weak his skin much too
white
Stars above blur in his
sight
The world fades into endless
Endless cold night.
Partial Chorus
And the city turns
away
Like they never ever knew his
name
Still he lifts his boy so
close
Runs through streets…..to bring him
home.
Final Verse
He stumbles down an empty
street
The world is ice beneath his
feet
He kneels beside the frozen
City of stone
Whispers "Son… we’re finally
Finally home."
Chorus
Chorus 2nd Ending
Whispers / "Son
we're finally
home."
Outro
The snow drifts soft the
Sunday morning gray
No one stops and no one
Left to pray
Two souls lost in winter’s
hold
Together now, for-
ever and ever
In a City Frozen cold
Our encounters of life and its struggles
Endowed amidst the peaceable silence,
Crisp leaves veiling life, into a wonder
Night curtly lull, in early calm slumber.
Time will come, smile, welcome with elation,
Then the lion's roar, perched on the loud sound
Influence the tall emerald meadow
Sated power of thunder spring rain flow.
Life is, but a spirit of glory.
A moment, a feeling, an embrace,
We smile, we cry, we win, we lose, we rejoice,
We're awakened, we come, we go, we have a choice.
3/4/2021
Life's Struggles- Any Form - Updated- Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Constance La France
STRUGGLES
WE AS A RACE HAVE HAD OUR STURGGLES AND TESTS
WE’VE COME OUT VICTORIOUS BUT NOT BECAUSE WE ARE THE BEST
IT IS THE LORD WHO SAW US THROUGH THE HARD TIMES
IT IS HE WHO GAVE US CONTROL OF OUR DESTINY IN DUE TIME.
OUR ANCESTORS WERE SOLD OUT BY MEMBERS OF THEIR RACE
SOUNDS FAMILIAR? EVERYDAY THIS TYPE OF THING TAKES PLACE
WE STRUGGLE ENOUGH TO GET AHEAD IN THE WORLD
BUT UNFORTUANTELY, WE HAVE OTHER AFRICAN-AMERICANS
BLOCKING OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, OUR BOYS AND OUR GIRLS
SOME OF US TEND TO BLOCK OTHERS OF US FORM REACHING THEIR POTENTIAL
BUT MANY OF US HAVE GOD ON OUR SIDE AND OUR SUCCESS IS EXPONENTIAL
OUR FOREFATHERS HAVE BEEN THROUGH SLAVERY, BEING BEATEN AND POORLY CLOTHED,
HOUSED, AND FED.
SLAVE WOMEN WERE RAPED AND FAMILIES WERE TORN APART
BUT IN THE SOUTH, THERE WAS NOT A LOT SAID
IN 1863 SLAVERY WAS LEGALLY ABOLISHED, BUT THIS ACT WAS NEVER REALLY PUT TO
BED
SOME OF US, OUR PARENTS, AND GRANDPARENTS
FELL VICTIM TO THE LAW OF JIM CROW
WHEN THEY NEED HELP FORM EMERGENCY PERSONNEL
THEY HAD NOWHERE THEY COULD GO.
RACISM STILL EXIST AGAINST US, OTHERS OF COLOR, AND AGAINST OUR IVORY SISTERS
AND BROTHERS
RACISM EXISTS WITHIN THE RACE, WHEN SOME OF US THINK WE ARE SUPERIOR TO
OTHERS
THE LORD HAS BROUGHT THIS RACE THROUGH A LOT
UNLIKE OTHER RACES, WE NEVER SUBJECTED TO GENOCIDE
MANY OF US HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF OUR FREEDOMS AND BECOME SUCCESSFUL
WHILE OTHERS HAVE FALLEN BY THE WAYSIDE
IT IS WRONG FOR US TO BLAME WHITES OR ANYONE FOR THE SUFFERING OUR RACE WENT
THROUGH
WE SHOULD JUST BE THANKFUL THAT NOW WE HAVE A CHANCE TO GET TO
GOD ALMIGHTY, WE CAN PRAY TO HIM FOR ANYTHING AND ANYONE
AND HE CAN SAVE ANYONE REGARDLESS OF WHAT A PERSON HAS DONE.
WE SHOULD PRAY FOR THE WORLD AS WELL AS OUR FAMILIES AND THE COMMUNITY
BECAUSE WE NEVER KNOW WHEN WE NEED HELP FROM AN OUTSIDE ENTITY.
Living in a false vision,while creating illusions of bad decisions.In my past when my footsteps became ashes,I was stealing for others who really need it.I position myself in danger countless times for strangers with smiling faces who take advantage of kindness,weakness,and talents.But now that Im polished in my craft,Im well balanced surrounded with solid knowledge and display my wisdom that pays attention and listen before I solved them.With tunnel vision deciphering through the rumble and rewritten for those who gets misguided.Cause in my experience language is the true connection of us breathing,while others sleep and dream about living,manuevering through life in a empty body suit in flesh,that dont bleed or shed.Barricaded themselves in there own prison,even there reflection denies its own visit.Its ashamed many dont realize in life we have options to disengage derange or grab on tight to what feels right.I tend to go down memory lane,visualize those precious moments in the past,were all lies,giggles and laughs.But now that I found God,I disgarded my mask,to show my true demeanor and pave my positive mission everlast.
The struggles you may face
Will eventually build your strength
Always rise upward
And give it your best
Life reveals itself
One step at a time
The journey will not be easy
Keep moving forward in order to shine
Through life’s clenched jaw,
we struggle to survive.
We see our loved ones stumble;
expectations crumble.
Anxiety keeps grinding
and grinding
us down.
Money’s tight;
life’s jaw clenches tighter.
Health declines.
The jaws of death loom nearer.
Panic-stricken people
flee the only homes they’ve ever known -
refugees escaping war
or the clench and the stench
of oppression.
Through it all,
many make it through,
but oh the woe of those
living in the unrelenting grasp
of poverty
or of being chewed to bits
by abuse and fear.
Who gets to glide through a life
where slackened
is the jaw of life?
And who decides
if a clenched jaw will constantly
be others’ plight?
Only God alone can know;
it’s not ours to reason why.
Family and friends, good attitude,
hopefully faith and prayer
will help to make life’s clenched jaw
easier to pass through.
I firmly believe that in the end,
death’s relief for many
will be a welcomed friend.
When life’s jaw unclenches,
we can be released.
Then will understanding
flood our minds
and the light of God’s pure love
be new life’s sweet caress.
In shadows cast by mirrored glass,
A captive girl, a ghost from the past,
Felt the whispers creep and crawl,
“You’re ugly, worthless; you’re nothing at all.”
With every glance, the message burned,
The cruelest lessons never learned;
“Hey you, ugly,” the voice would sneer,
Echoing doubts that traced every tear.
She leaned in close to the trembling frame,
A stranger’s face now lived in shame—
Big bunny teeth, a nose slightly bent,
Hollowed-out eyes where laughter went.
Once vibrant dreams turned to dust and ash,
As teenage years slipped away like a flash.
On empty plates where hunger thrived,
The laughter of voices kept her alive.
A piece of toast, if she dared to eat,
But the pain was comfort, so sick and sweet.
Toilet paper became her silent friend,
Filling the void. was this how it would end?
From size twelve to eight, the battle was grim,
Yet the voices only grew ever more dim.
“You’re fat! Look, they laugh! What a whale!” they howled,
While the mirror mocked her, hollow and cowed.
But in the shadows of adulthood’s light,
She sought for freedom, for grace in her fight.
The girl in the mirror still holds her stare,
Yet one truth lingers; it’s breathing somewhere.
She wears now the curves of a warrior’s crown,
A size eighteen, she’s learning to drown—
The whispers that thickened and strangled her breath,
Are fading, dissolving, a slow dance with death.
And though the girl watches, fiercely she stands,
Rejecting the echoes with tender commands.
“Not just a reflection, but a spirit set free,
I am more than the voice; I am finally me."
So let the mirrors show tales of the past,
With all of its sorrow, each shadow cast.
For in defiance, she rises anew,
An ember of strength,
forever breaking through.
Inspired by my years fightinh Eating disorders and body dysmorphia.
You’re tired, and you’re on your own.
Stopping now won’t find you a home.
Roaming the streets, searching for a safe place to sleep,
Too scared of what strangers might think of you.
Scared it’s always going to be this way.
No one to turn to. No one to trust.
The ones you called friends, the distant family—
They betrayed you the most.
You put trust in others because you don’t trust yourself.
That’s how you got here.
You were used.
Go fall asleep on the campus lawn,
Even if you don’t know if it’s illegal.
You’ve never done it before.
You woke up surrounded by cops—
They didn’t understand the pain you feel,
The feeling of being lost.
You just want love. Comfort.
So far, no success.
Too prideful to ask to go home—
What would people think?
You’ve gone from place to place.
You’ve made it work this long.
How long is enough?
That’s your decision.
Suffering is no longer an option.
No one’s going to feel sorry for you.
They want you to help yourself.
No more crying yourself to sleep in temporary shelter,
Because it’s just that—temporary.
No more relying on others.
They’ll only hurt you.
No more mania.
No more depression.
No more being scared of yourself.
No more people being scared of you because of it.
Put your best skills forward.
People are your skill.
You’ve played the field—got shelter from temporary users.
Use that.
Put it toward your career.
Put it toward your love of perspective.
There’s no need to be scared.
You’re resilient.
You might fail.
But you still have where you’re from if this final push doesn’t work.
There are always more chances.
Just do it.
Please succeed.
You must succeed.
No more failing.
You’re better than that.
I’m all I have, you son of a gun.
There can be no more feeling hopelessness.
In the abyss of loneliness, man struggles,
With a soul burnt by darkness and pain,
He fills his heart with immortal memories,
Weaving fantastic illusions in a somber theater.
He gazes towards the Sun and the clouds,
In search of an escape to freedom,
Dreaming of heroes who, in stories and legends,
Weave humanity's destiny in a bold ode.
Women, with beautiful bodies and fiery souls,
Ignite his desire and passion,
While the Cosmos and the Earth rotate,
Each man in search of a divine escape.
Love wounds his heart, when the beloved is harder to find,
Sin tempts him in moments of weakness,
Paradise and Hell battle at the end of life,
Making him wonder where he will find happiness.
Life and death, in an eternal dance, twirl,
In an endless balance between hope and despair,
War and peace embrace in the world of man,
Dragging him into the whirlwind of an uncertain carousel.
Man, in his abyssal solitude, molds his fantasies,
To confront reality with dreams and faith,
In a universe where he falls and rises,
With a heartbeat pulsating to the rhythm of time and destiny.
I’m suffocating in here
I’m the one I have to fear.
Broken glass pierces through the soles of my feet
Yet somehow I can’t accept defeat.
Someone call the surgeon
The surgeon to my soul.
I feel like I’m about to fall
I feel like I’m about to fall!
Someone call the FBI
I have a case that’s files are miles high
Photos of the suspects keep flashing through my mind
Day and night…night and day
Why can’t anyone seem to find
The murder weapon
It’s my heart
It’s been violated all the pieces
And every part
The anesthesia just wore off and I’m in excruciating pain
Look at all I loss…was it all in vain?
I’m vexed with questions I’m frozen with lies
I walk a road with my hands tied
Gasping for air
But you’re not there
Gasping for air
But you don’t care!
Faint smells of metal linger on my tongue
I was so young
We were too young!
The sun blisters my skin
Exposing the poison that dwells with in.
Regenerated but still a degenerate
Born again but still being born
Forgiven but still forgiving
Fighting but still in the fight.
Galaxies of possibilities swirl in the wind
How did I get here again?
Have I lost the will to win?
By: Sabina Nicole
The black man has had a life full of trauma
Forget what you heard save the drama for your mama
When will the struggles for the black man end
When we will come together as a people and blend
Keep your head up black man and keep standing tall
You always have to give your all and all
Your struggle as a black man as a black woman I understand
And I will be there for you my black man
I know that times get frustrated and hard
And you always have to be on your guard
My black man stands with beaming pride
Because I'm his black woman I'll stand by his side
You have the strength to cope and endure
Just lean on me I'll be your allure
I'll always remember my black man with much pride
And I will continue to stand by his side
For the struggles of the black man continue to go on
Just remember my black man you are not alone
So keep hope alive and soar on high
Beacause you are my black man with dignity and pride
Listen to me
As I tell you what you don’t see,
The teenage struggles of today.
I tell you what I say
Is true.
Teenagers do struggle through
Life as we know it.
So why don’t you sit
And listen to the truth of
How teens struggle in love
Looking for the one to call my dove.
How they struggle through school
Just trying to be cool,
To make the grade,
So the knowledge won’t fade.
We struggle with the bully
And popularity.
We struggle to find who we are,
Searching low and far.
I hope this helps you to see
What it’s like to be
A teen whose troubles are unseen.
Nobody knows the pain we feel
Nobody gives the slightest thought
Nobody treasures the memory
Of what we said we wanna be
Nobody knows the struggles we face
Nobody never notices we put on a brave face
Nobody cares to give a smile
Nobody ever holds a conversation for a while,
Everything we do, we never complain
All the scars we have are never seen
Working for a better life
Trying to be a success, all of us have to face the test.
We are never ready for a world that envy, never once did we see all the unpleasant scenery that we'll get,
We just wanna succeed and be somebody, without all the treachery and chaos of everybody
All the negatively bad impacts,
Go alone and forget the distance,
For it's the ones who choose the right way
Comes out to be leaders everyday.
The struggles of a black woman is at best a horrific, tumultuous one
But the black woman is strong and will not be un-done
We don't always do what we want to
We just do what we have to do
We've had to put up with so many un-fair things in life
Like hunger, desperation, molestation, and strife
Oh we have thrown our hands up and cried
For the hand we were dealt made the price to high
Will you as a black man stand by my side
Or will you walk and pass me on by
A strong black woman and much skills do I possess
And I will rise to pass the test and come out better than all the rest
What ever challenge or obstacle that's put before me
I'll put it down and hold my own fearlessly
I will finesse, finagle, and manage to win
Will my struggles in life ever end
In my fragile little ship, I sail sail,
In the tempestuous sea of life, vast,
Studying the stagnant winds in detail,
Gliding up slowly with a lofty mast.
Facing strong winds my ship starts from the clast,
And trials of life - tides - ensue without fail;
Dodging life's pressures, to doldrums outlast,
In my fragile little ship, I sail sail.
In moments when thunderstorms and harsh gale
Fill my life with gloom and leave me aghast,
Steer ahead with cheer: my goal will entail,
In the tempestuous sea of life, vast.
At times, harsh heartless words a shadow cast
Over peace; grief grips tight in life's travails;
Through unloving currents, I sail sail fast,
Studying the stagnant winds in detail.
When hassles and tussles of life prevail,
And gloomy events haunt me from the past,
Amidst the dismal darkness I sail sail,
Gliding up slowly with a lofty mast.
To flow with the rhythms of life, till the last,
My ship is all set, though a little frail,
The tides may be high or low in contrast;
Bouncing in and out of waves, I sail sail,
In my fragile little ship...
Date: 03/04/2021
Submitted for: Life's Struggles - Any Form - Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Constance La France
Rondeau Redouble Modified
Syllables: 10 syllables each line, except last line