Refuse Poem by Phil Panebianco

A teenager out on the street and cold.
Sleeping on a concrete mattress or maybe a park bench.
A child lost in their own minds,
lost in their own dillusional worlds.
Each on with a different story to tell,
a different person to blame for their hardships.
Feelings of loneliness kick in,
nerves begin to rattle, and now they are scared.
Yet they still refuse to follow rules,
refuse to listen to reason,
refuse to see life with open eyes.
A child who thinks they know it all,
yet they run away from their fears,
run away from their anger, their frustrations.
Leaving behind a mess of unanswered questions,
leaving behind all opportunities.
They refuse to see that they are nothing more than scared little kids.
Refusing to admit their wrongs,
refuse to fight and take on the world,
refuse to find the person that hides inside them.