Because I Used To Be Poem by derrick foster

were you there
for the march
for the rally
for the pause
were you the
for the name calling
for the rock hauling
how appalling the not knowing
were you there
for the sickness
for the cocktail
for the therapy
were you there
for the night sweats
for the lesions
for the swearing
were you there
for the abandon
for the demanding
for the exclusion
were you there
for the beatings
for the meetings
for the overall need
were you there
for the changes
for the suffering
for the disease
were you there
for the ribbons
for the ribbings
for the rejections
were you there
for the dying
for the wreckage
for the wasting
were you there
for the denying
for the recklessness
for the searching
if you were there
you know what we
go through daily
were you there
for any of it
because i used to be