Tell Us- From a Teenager’s Perspective

You tell us to stay quiet,
so others do not hear our cries.

You tell us these are our most crucial years,
but that’s what we have been hearing our entire life.

You tell us to hide our scars,
because others might see.

You tell us we overreact,
but you do not understand what we really mean.

You ask us why we are sad,
why we cry ever so often.

But when we explain, you laugh and change the topic,
say it’s the mood you’re trying to soften.

When we cry we feel guilty,
and it is a feeling we cannot deny.
Why?

Because we are privileged to have more than many others can,
and that is not a lie.

So, why do we still feel this way?
Does it make us bad people?

You tell me us we are well behaved,
except for when we let slip our tongue.

You tell us we are lazy,
and major “drama queens”.

But lazy is not demotivated,
and expression is not weak.

You blame the victim,
for the criminal’s fault.

When will this stop?
when we’re all gone?

You tell us we aren’t doing enough,
when we try and get some rest.

You tell us we need to do more,
But we are mentally exhausted and stressed.

So, we tell you, ask you, beg you,
there is something we want to say in return.

We tell you we just don’t want to exist,

How to live is what we want to learn.

– by Maahira Mahajan.