Envy

Envy rises as a lion
roaring at a crowd but
no echo ricochets –I am
never heard,
Walk between walls
that I see red
Walking past kids
who I see dead
I barely get a glance,
I find myself questioning if I ever
even had a chance
Just ‘cause I’m not on their
conveyor belt
where their choices are made
on skin, hair, eye colour, career,
My choices are made too,
for much darker things though,
If my skin were clear,
And you could see the thoughts
filling up this head,
You would turn – run, and throw
your arms around those you love,
but I was never protected like that
but I can’t let that be an excuse
so I hold my hands over my eyes – I
squeeze my hands on my stomach,
And I swallow the lion prowling
my lungs in hunt of my throat,
I swallow the lion and it’s the most
difficult thing I’ve ever done.