Poem: “What Don’t Kill Me Can Only Hurt Me”
What Don’t Kill Me Can Only Hurt Me
Remember when I was on the moped and got hit off
or when I was on the dirt bike and my hand almost got cut off
you probably think I was a daredevil wit the sh*t I was doing
but I was always under the influence.
I remember when I was younger and my mama used to leave me
and always left my grandma to feed me.
I had a lot of attention but I never wanted to be seen
I never thought of crying ’cause that wasn’t my thing
They say everything happens for a reason
I wish I knew mine while I’m sitting here counting out seasons.
Right now I feel like I’m in a lot of pain
and as 1, 2, 3, days go by
I still feel the same.
You heard, “What don’t kill you can only make you stronger.”
Well, I believe that metaphor no longer.
When your heart was broke did you feel stronger?
I bet your heart felt like it was in a coma.
What didn’t kill me left me wit a heart ache, cut, scare, bruise, or sore
and I never felt stronger then I was before.
Will I be stronger in the long run if you leave me?
Thinkin’ hell of a lot I think I found the key.
Everybody go off what they hear or see.
When the truth is what don’t kill
can only hurt me.
12 Comments
Leave a Comment
The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.
life is a learning process.
well delivered poem!
I love this. I love the idea that you are not afraid to challenge conventional thinking. For years, we’ve been walking around saying “what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger”. You’re the first person, that I know of, to actually think about what those words mean. Keep thinking young man and please continue to enlighten us all!
-Shannon
Wow. Hauntingly beautiful with a strong and deep message at the end. I love how you capture the whole essence of the poem with just “what don’t kill can only hurt me.” It’s incredibly deep as is the questioning of the reasons behind life’s actions. Everyone makes mistakes and learns from them. Without failure there can be no progress or success. Keep writing and expressing these feelings because you’re a great writer and you poem was very interesting to read!
Thank you for taking the time to write this! I am intrigued by your twist on the old adage, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” I think it’s possible to be both bruised and stronger- to still have scars but be healed none the less. I hope you are able to find the light in all the darkness you encounter. Keep writing!
KC
This is an amazing poem! I wonder if you’ve ever considered putting your words to music? You have such great rhythm! You tell stories so vividly, and I appreciate your take on the strength gained from painful experiences, and I hope you’re finding all the strength you need! Thank you for sharing this, keep writing, and maybe consider music if you haven’t already!
Hello,
This poem really makes me think a lot about the saying “what kills you makes you stronger”. Thank you for offering us this perspective, and sharing your story with us!
Best,
Samantha
I find the language “heart ache, cut, scare, bruise, or sore” to be particularly profound. This seems to be a very personal message and I throughly enjoyed being able to be read such a poem. It’s always an important lesson to learn about scars, both physical and emotional, and that we can use poems as an opportunity to express our feelings.
I think this poem does a good job at giving the perspectives from those who receive those words of advice that sometimes does not help much. Yeah I know that good days are coming, but when? Your poem is a reminder that pain and the healing process is not a linear thing but will have its up and its lows. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!
Very strong writing piece, the use of imagery is really here and I’m here for it! Keep up good work.
Your voice is really strong as you hash through your ideas with a lover (it sounds like to me.) You start with vivid examples of things that happened to you as a young person, then childhood reactions. Now you examine the old saying and while “everybody go off on what they hear or see”, you challenge it. You ask the question of another, “When your heart was broke did you feel stronger?” This is such an authentic poem. I hope it felt old to put this down in verse.
beautifully written !!
This poem offers a raw and personal reflection on pain and resilience, challenging the common saying that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” The speaker remembers moments of physical and emotional trauma, expressing that these experiences left scars, both literal and figurative, without the promised strength. The poem’s vulnerability, especially in questioning the meaning behind hardship, resonates with a deeper truth that sometimes, pain lingers without leading to growth or healing.