Only Way To Succeed Poem by Cameron Gallant

I don’t really know where I want to take my life
I’m not sure if I’m any good
Maybe I’m just a lemon
Constantly bombarded with every insult in the book

I’ve tried my hand at sports
And I’ve tried to sing and dance
I’ve thrown my pride away
If only to feel loved I’ve tried to fit

Truth be told, I even fail at that

School, in a word, a nightmare
Yet it’s not the classes I fear
It’s the hungry wolves who claw at my throat
Every minute so I can’t breathe
Leaving me hopeless

I’m a failure at life

My leaves are wilting and they’re about to fall
I try to find a way out of this sick maze, but I can’t
So hopeless by the malice of their words
I’m a lemon for sure

I don’t think I can ever shine
But I yearn beyond the world to feel purposeful

“Fails to complete assignments”
“Fails to turn in projects” the comments read
I’m so bad at life that I fail on purpose
The only way I feel I succeed

(Published in Print in 'DeSSerted Island: Poem Collection' - 2014)