You\u2019ve probably seen \u2018em all before, the ones trapped in\ntheir own prisons,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Judged, hazed, sneered at and taunted, disqualified from\ncounselling the masses,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By and large dubbed hypocrites, of calling the proverbial\nkettle, accused of throwing stones, you know all the idioms,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One can\u2019t warn against the deed when they\u2019re deep in it\nthemselves, the height of hypocrisy they\u2019re calling it, not to mention fakeness,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it goes deeper below the surface, damn near close to the\nabyss, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s hear from \u2018em both, just might give you a new\nperspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looking in a mirror can scarcely believe it\u2019s the dude that came\nup in circumstances conducive to life away from activities no-good,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They called me the \u2018Golden Child\u2019, the apple of Mom and\nPops\u2019 eye,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Expected to carry on a legacy that would elevate their name\nbeyond the sky,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That all changed on one fateful day, a simple encounter\nsealed my fate,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Crossed paths with him in college, from there became\nbrothers from different mothers,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Became family with his crew but was on a collision course\nwith trouble,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A good time can\u2019t be had unless chemically-enhanced, that\u2019s\nthe way that they be rollin\u2019,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Resistance was futile, the world felled by the might of one\nbig hit,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Crossed over in the worst way, plummeted deep into the pit,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ex-communicated by fam, friends were lost, opportunities\ndried, the habit came at a cost,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Initially felt abandoned but I guess it\u2019s well-deserved, many\ntimes I\u2019d cried wolf, further chances would\u2019ve been absurd,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fast-forward to the present, been evicted more times than I\ncan count,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grog, pills and crystal\u2019s all that\u2019s keeping me afloat, at\nleast until I\u2019m drowned,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They assume I came up Struggle Street, the reality is\nstranger than fiction,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A privileged kid-turned-junkie, threw it away over one bad\ndecision,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t do what I did,\u201d I\u2019m telling \u2018em on the daily, \u201ctake\none glance if you don\u2019t believe me,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSallow features and self-hatred are where you\u2019re headed,\ntrust me it ain\u2019t worth it,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They laugh and judge and truthfully I get it, but if words\ncan carry weight then mine must surely be gargantuan,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nothing like experience to add credence to the warnings, for\nthat alone they ought to take me serious,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I ain\u2019t preaching to be uppity, to project a false sense of\nrighteousness,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coming from a place of atonement and regret, have to believe\nthat there\u2019s hope for me yet,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it\u2019s been many years and counting, a change of course\nseems unlikely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All judgements welcomed, would rather honesty than false\nplatitudes and pity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They call me a slacker and a bum but trust that this puppy\ngot dreams,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But there\u2019s fault within the wiring though ambition\u2019s\nbursting through the seams,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They ask me if I\u2019m fine and I tell \u2018em life\u2019s good, not\nbecause it\u2019s truth but rather so they don\u2019t intrude, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Various demons in the way and I\u2019m ill-equipped to fight \u2018em,\ntry as I might the war\u2019s just never-ending,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They say to just do it, believe me I take that shit to\nheart,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in the face of crucial steps all ambition gets blown\napart,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Too proud to call for reinforcements, at times fear and\npride merge into a toxic mix that tastes so sick but somehow I keep coming for\nanother serve,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some say I can do it, others say forget it, guess which of\nthe sentiments register? Guess which goes in one ear and out the other?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So for now I\u2019m telling \u2018em to get what\u2019s theirs, haters and\ndoubters be damned,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sure they raise eyebrows but if they knew they\u2019d get moving\nfast,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also to seek help when needed, they needn\u2019t have to suffer,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To let \u2018em in, the ones they trust, there\u2019s much more\nstrength in numbers<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t you do the same, you chump?\u201d they\u2019re likely\nsaying, \u201cwho the fuck made you the boss?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou ain\u2019t even doing shit, you ain\u2019t following your own\ngospel, so how you sitting there crowing from atop your horse?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s \u2018cuz I know how that shit feels,\u201d I\u2019d say to \u2018em, \u201cyou\nreally don\u2019t want none of this,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll get it done, just need a sec, just need to silence the\nnoise inside my head\u201d,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Life becomes rosy once those goals and dreams are\naccomplished,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Defy what\u2019s stopping you, pay no mind to all the rubbish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So there you have it, two different voices, their wisdom\nviewed with cynicism,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s understandable, how dare they don\u2019t practice what it is\nthey\u2019re preaching,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But stop and think about it, they have a head start over\nmany a so-called expert,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Living it counts, doesn\u2019t it? Who better to warn the masses\nthan ones who\u2019d borne the brunt of it? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why write \u2018em off when instead you can sit and listen?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Might learn you something, be smarter for it, maybe get you\nto make changes you never knew you needed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You\u2019ve probably seen \u2018em all before, the ones trapped in their own prisons, Judged, hazed, sneered at and taunted, disqualified from counselling the masses, By and large dubbed hypocrites, of calling the proverbial kettle, accused of throwing stones, you know all the idioms, One can\u2019t warn against the deed when they\u2019re deep in it themselves, … <\/p>\n