Red Lines

A rather edgy and dark poem, but full of truth and hurt

I’m always mesmerized

By those simple red lines.

Thin lines,

Wide lines,

Dark lines,

Light lines.

One small strip contains all,

Everything I feel.

All my anger,

All my hate,

All my fear,

All my loneliness.

It’s as if I’m drowning,

Those lines pulling me back up.

Back to my pain,

Back to my failure,

Back to my despair,

Back to myself.

They make me remember

Just who I am inside.

A disappointment,

A mistake,

A let-down,

A screw-up.

One day I will escape,

But until then I’m stuck,

Making the same red lines.

Author's Note

I realize this is a dark poem, but writing about it can help address the problem, which is how I help myself. I stopped self-harm not long before writing this poem, and now I help the students in my school when they need help

Reviews

[Kaede16]

As someone who has gone through this myself, and lost people to it, I don't think it's "edgy" but relatable. Edgy is just a word people use to make us feel ashamed of our demons. Don't succumb to it. Instead use it. channel it for your art. Let it make you stronger

[John the Baptist]

This work reveals the mindset of the speaker. There appears to be continual interaction with the negativity of the past. The last verse describes the speaker's self concept, which is a classic portrait of low self esteem. "One day I will escape". Not likely, if you keep thinking this way.