Nelson E Hopkins, Jr. Scholarship Fund

Poetry Excerpts by Nelson E. Hopkins, Jr.

Screaming Inside

"I’ve stayed too silent for too long

I’ve listened to all of your problems

Do you recognize anything?

You’ve never heard me

You only see me act out for a laugh

But you don’t know anything about me

When people speak to me, they all think

They all think I am conceited

All because I am screaming inside

I never had a chance to speak

And when I do, they all think I think

It’s all about me

But that’s not true

I’ve listened to you for hours

And not once have you heard me for 60 seconds

You claim to have my trust, but I don’t trust you

To be honest, I trust none of you

My only person I turn to is a piece of paper

I can write down how I feel

But now I’ve stopped because I never have time

And it all starts with you talking to me

And I have to stay quiet

And I can never blow off my steam

December 15, 2007

QUESTIONS

If I were to sob, would anyone hear my cries?

When I talk no one hears me speak

If I were to be drafted, and got shot would anyone to my aid?

When I need help, no one helps me to understand

If I were to be sad, would anyone ask what’s wrong with me?

When I’m down, no one’s there to say they care

If I were to be happy for no reason, would anyone smile?

When I’m feeling good, the smile is wipe from my face...

By the one ones who drag me by the ankle

Grab hold, and pull me down

Taking me somewhere unknown

Into the darkness

Keeping myself shut into the dark

Thinking on what I’ve done

What have I done?

What did I do wrong?

I question my security

Because I’m really never protected

I question the authority

Because it’s like they never do their job

I question everyone around me

Because they seemed to have forgotten

Why I am so tolerant of them

Why I am always doing as they say