Little Things

152

One in five

today one in five
wondered if being alive
was worth the cost
of another day
wondering if 2 in 10
wondered when
there was finally going to be
a 911 for mental health

4 in 20 wondered if the wealth spent on the self decided salaries of politicians
who claim the children are our future
could pay for it

maybe 1 of the 8
of the 8 in 40
quit wondering
and start making plans

maybe 3 of the 16
of the 16 in 80
feel like unrecycled cans
that are just easier to throw away

maybe one fifth of the 160
is easier to say than 32
because 32 is starting to sound like a lot

a toll free number is not enough
give us a number
everyone knows by heart
so next time we see someones world falling apart
we can do more than just stand there

because the scars we cant see
require different care than the ones left there by crime or accident
sometines theres no hint
to tell you it hurts
it just hurts

sometimes our minds are red alerts
you cant see
even when you look us in the eye
sometimes we cry for what others would consider no reason
and sometimes the treason we commit
is against ourselves

its hard enough
trying to find who we are
Among the overcrowded shelvs of pills
meant to manage how we function

sometimes the junction box is broken
and we miss the connections
that others seem to make with ease

imagine
if you threw away the 1
in the 1 in 5 keys
that could open the door
to the room the world forgot we were locked in

if kindness makes us friends
let compassion make us kin
dont let us get lost in the numbers again

illness is illness

sometimes the cost to heal it
is an ear willing to listen
sometimes a shoulder
voulenteering to be a crutch

people are not a price to be weighed against your budget

1 in 5
is 2 much