For my best friend and brother, thank you for always being there for me. This is for you and will always be for you. 
 
 
I N T R O 
 
 
Sometimes in the morning, 
As I board the bus to school, 
I look out the window, 
At the passing trees and cars. 
 
 
I see people on their way, 
Vendors in the streets. 
I see people on their way, 
Walking to work. 
 
 
Sometimes I think about, 
The wonderful day ahead, 
Full of good and bad, 
Up and down, 
Full of endless possibilities. 
 
 
And I think, 
How many people have something to look forward to today? 
How many people need some mental support today? 
How many people are suffering, 
Both mentally and physically, 
In the dark? 
 
 
How many people are afraid to speak out, 
Afraid to step out, 
Of the shadows, 
And tell everyone their opinions? 
 
 
How many people don’t get the quality of life they deserve? 
How many people wish they had a better outcome? 
How many people are alone, 
Without anyone to go through days like this with them? 
 
 
Sometimes in the morning, 
As I board the bus to school, 
I look out the window, 
At the passing trees and cars. 
 
 
I see people on their way, 
Vendors hoping to make money to support their families. 
I see people on their way, 
Walking to work because they need the money to live. 
 
 
Sometimes I think about, 
The miserable day ahead, 
Full of fake smiles, 
Hiding in the shadows, 
Full of endless pain. 
 
 
P A R T  I 
 
 
When you fall underneath the expectations, 
When you fail what you wanted to achieve, 
When you want to give up, 
You’re reminded of why you can’t. 
 
 
The hard work your grandparents did, 
The endless toll your parents go through, 
Whether they’re here with you or not, 
Watching you stand up and fighting or not, 
They worked hard once, 
For you. 
 
 
To show them their pain was not in vain, 
To show them that my generation can do better, 
To show them that they’re not who they think I am, 
To show them that I am the best that I can be. 
 
 
I continue on the journey, 
Not because I have no choice, 
But because I’m on a mission to excel, 
To prove myself to the world.  
 
 
I can fail, 
I can give up, 
I can stop trying, 
Like millions of others, 
But I won’t, 
Because I’m reminded why I can’t. 
 
 
The endless lectures, 
The fire in my heart filled with passion, 
The stories of torture my family had to go through, 
The tears in their eyes as they continued, 
For the future generations, 
For my generation.  
 
 
To show them that I can do it, 
To show them that I can do better, 
To show them that they were right to believe in me, 
To show that I am capable of the things they went through. 
 
 
I continue on the journey, 
Not because I have no choice, 
But because I am on a mission to achieve, 
To set up those high expectations for myself. 
So I can compare myself, 
And make the past and future generations proud.  
 
 
P A R T  II 
 
 
As you pick up your pen, 
As the new school day starts, 
As the teacher starts talking, 
And you start writing, 
Does stress overcome you? 
Does anxiety wash over you? 
 
 
It’s natural, 
It’ll pass, 
It’s fine, 
It’s normal. 
 
 
But it’s not, 
In a way you can’t imagine. 
Not paying attention to someone’s mental health, 
Is not paying attention to someone’s life. 
 
 
You can save so much, 
By one word of comfort, 
One word to show support. 
One pat on the back. 
 
 
It’s not some thoughts in your mind, 
It’s not the same as physical health. 
You can’t wait until it blows over, 
You have to do something, 
And that something can start with you. 
 
 
When the competition starts, 
When the clock starts timing, 
When the music starts, 
But you’re not ready, 
Does stress overcome you? 
Does anxiety wash over you? 
 
 
It’s not natural, 
It’s not going to pass, 
It’s not fine, 
It’s never normal.  
 
 
It will never be. 
Not a lot of people understand, 
How weak a person with mental illness can be, 
Just holding on, 
Barely. 
 
 
You can do something, 
You can help, 
With one joke, 
A little hug. 
 
 
It’s not some thoughts in your mind, 
It’s not the same as physical health. 
You can’t wait until it blows over, 
You have to do something, 
And that something can start with you. 
 
 
P A R T  III 
 
 
Sometimes you want to tear your heart out, 
Scream at the world, 
Cry at the unfairness, 
Sometimes you want to leave and be left alone. 
  
Sometimes you want to take out your anger, 
On the nearest person, 
The nearest object,  
A thing that can feel pain.  
 
 
Sometimes I want to smash my Rubik cube, 
The one that helps me relieve stress, 
Because it isn’t working, 
Turning the sides does nothing.  
 
 
Sometimes I want to smash my laptop, 
The words I write down means nothing,  
The keys turning, 
My hands typing, 
With no meaning, 
Except frustration. 
 
 
Sometimes you want to tear out, 
Bellow at the world, 
Cry at the loneliness, 
Sometimes you want to leave and be left alone.  
 
 
Sometimes you want to take out your anger, 
Lash out on a person, 
Both verbally, 
And physically. 
 
 
Sometimes I want to tear out the pages of my book,  
The one that I read to relieve stress, 
Because it isn’t working, 
The words mean nothing. 
 
 
Sometimes I want to throw away my backpack, 
The one that carries my school books, 
Because getting those grades mean nothing, 
Except empty praise, 
Simple memorization,  
And the lonely goal of excelling.  
 
 
P A R T  IV 
 
 
Sometimes I give myself excuses, 
Chances to take a break,  
On days when I really don’t feel like it, 
And go sit next to the lake. 
 
 
I’m too tired, 
I’m not feeling up to it, 
I feel like I have a headache,  
I feel like I’m going to be sick, 
But deep down in myself, 
I know they’re just excuses. 
 
 
The guilt I hold from excuses, 
The stress that drowns me hard, 
The excuses, 
They plague my mind with clouds.  
 
 
Most times I try to remind myself, 
Why I shouldn’t give up,  
Why I should continue, 
On this journey of pain. 
Even on days when I don’t feel like it, 
On days when I want to stop and cry.  
 
 
But sometimes it doesn’t work, 
And that’s okay too. 
Spare yourself a day, 
Make a plan, 
Be productive,  
But in another way.  
 
 
Sometimes I give myself excuses, 
Chances to pause my goal, 
On days when I don’t feel like it, 
And rest from the endless toll.  
 
 
P A R T  V 
 
 
It fails sometimes,  
You lash out on yourself, 
Sometimes it’s not because of others, 
But because of your own determination.  
 
 
Sometimes you stop for too long, 
And think about giving up, 
Sometimes you pause on your way to achievement, 
And start thinking why.  
 
 
Why do I do this? 
Why do I push myself? 
Why am I motivating myself? 
People are so much better than me, 
I should just give up. 
 
 
Hopeless days, 
Not days where you’re in a bad mood, 
But days with no motivation, 
No goal in sight. 
 
 
Days of emptiness, 
Fighting for nothing,  
It seems. 
 
 
You stop sometimes, 
You get angry at yourself, 
Sometimes it’s not because of others, 
But your own want to continue. 
 
 
Sometimes you take a break for too long, 
And think about giving up. 
Sometimes you move back into the shadows, 
And don’t want to come back to sunlight. 
 
 
Why do I do this? 
Why do I push myself? 
Why am I motivation myself? 
People can excel more than me, 
I should just give up. 
 
 
Fate-less days, 
Not days when you’re running, 
But days when you’re lost, 
The fog blocks the goal. 
 
 
Days of nothing,  
Fighting for something unknown, 
I know it, 
I can see nothing. 
 
 
P A R T  VI 
 
 
You can do it,  
You can achieve it, 
You’ll get it in the end. 
 
 
I believe in you, 
I trust you, 
I know you’ll do your best, 
And nothing less than that. 
 
 
I’ll protect you, 
Make sure you’re safe. 
I’ll help you, 
When times get hard. 
 
 
I promise,  
I’ll always be by your side, 
Day or night, 
Look left and right, 
I’m there, 
For you. 
 
 
You can reach it, 
You can get it,  
You’ll hit your goal. 
 
 
I believe in you, 
I trust you, 
I know you’ll do your best, 
And your best only. 
 
 
I’ll fight for you, 
Make sure you’re safe. 
I’ll assist you, 
When things get complicated. 
 
 
I promise, 
I’ll always be by your side. 
Because you were there for me, 
So I’ll be there for you. 
You helped me, 
This is my turn to give back. 
 
 
O U T R O 
 
 
Poems are a way to relieve stress,  
I write it to distract myself from anxiety, 
And write down my thoughts, 
Let the music take me where it wants to take me. 
 
 
I write paragraphs, 
Stanzas,  
Full of my thoughts, 
Unable to escape,  
Like I’m trapped in a box, 
Of words. 
 
 
This poem is dedicated to the person who pulled me out, 
Helped me find where I stand again, 
Saved me from the box of emptiness, 
This whole thing is for you. 
 
 
But it’s for everyone as well, 
This friend helped me, 
Promised that they’ll keep me safe, 
Protect me, 
Stand by my side, 
No matter what.  
 
 
Promises to love me, 
Comfort me. 
Understands me, 
Tries to relate,  
But never intrudes, 
Or forces me. 
 
 
Looks out for me, 
Like I look out for you. 
Believes in me, 
Like I believe in you. 
Changed me, 
Like this poem will change you. 
 
 
I’ll stand by your side, 
Like they stand next to mine. 
My way of giving back, 
To the good people in the world, 
People with kind hearts, 
And the willingness to help.  
 
 
I’ll be there for you, 
Like you were there for me, 
Thank you for everything, 
It’s my turn to give back, 
To you, 
And to the world.