Real Life by Skye Laverna

Used to dream of a world outside the Valley,

The day I left would be the finale

Of what was my backstory,

But it’s very haunting

These awnings 

Gave me shade, but my belongings

Were all burnt from the sun,

Triple digit, 3rd degree 

Year after year, 

Y’all ain’t gonna hear

Success stories,

This city gets tragedies,

The worst of humanity,

And the failure of society

To teach their kids, see em grown

But even adults have the Internet raise them,

Now that’s mayhem,

Kids with no love left condemned

To seek comfort in violence, drugs,

And all that toxicity

Building up anxiety,

It’s not the air quality

That fucks them up,

It’s the same cup

They poured when they were sixteen,

Leaving school cause of pregnancy,

They’re 23 with 3 kids,

Yet no jobs open for people with degrees,

Going into debt

Just to end up being contempt

For how the norms were set up,

Born to lose 

With our head in a noose

Until we’re of no use

Then vamoose.

Voices to the void

As they toyed 

Our emotions for highest profit,

Send in the next subject

Maybe this time, we’ve got it…?

-Skye Laverna