I live within the borders, isolated, only listening to our own voices

comprising the fabric of this town, drowning in my choices

echoes are the only sound, we always need more

generations of deep stitches convince us this is all we’re good for

living in these borders of a town that stretches wide

sewn across a nation, an island of accents to reiterate our divide

In these borders I’ve been trying to forget

the life written out for me, everything that’s set

with this lockdown I’ve had too much time to think

struggling to hold together, another statistic every time you blink

every distraction locked up and shut down,

I can’t ignore this pattern, I seem to be bound

I used to forget in the streets, tearing at the seams

pretending to be the next Messi, five a side at the borders of town  

distractions to hide, stuff of dreams now

To forget where I’m heading, like my dad

in a job every night he’s dreading, ma says it’s enough but in her eyes I can see

it’s not enough for her, it’s not enough for me

my older brother left, went where him and his friends usually do

the place that even if you leave, a sentence walks ahead of you

I need to get out, but I don’t want to go there

Dad says he’s got a job lined up for me, work till I’m sore

wish I could tell him I want to try to do more

I can’t be another in a pattern like them before

But in this house, borders of this town

Books don’t count for much, sirens in my head, the loudest sound

I sit for too long reading I’m not helping where I should

I need something but feel guilty. Ask? I never could

An empty desk, a place to write, more than fists to win this fight. I’m tired

You know the school walls preach “the pen is mightier than the sword”

it doesn’t stop them fighting gripping their keys like claws

It’s pathetic, gangs starting out in the yard

you turn a blind eye when things get this hard

sewn up in these patterns, the sword is the only way of life

they’ll forget to bring a pen but line their pockets with a knife

Realising why grandad used to say “some are their own worst enemy”

I’m losing the energy, this place will be the death of me

Hard to ignore the pattern now I’m grown

I swear this is not all I’m worth, it’s just all I’ve been shown