Wide awake

i know i promised

"i'll be in bed by nine"

yet how can i 

when the work is piling up

invisible stack higher than my head

yet how can i

if when i fall into bed

the fears come rushing in

will all my work

all my sleepless nights

tears shed over missed work

scared to go to school

but more scared to fall behind

is this what it means 

to be a teenager

learning so hard

the burnout comes fast 

and the feeling of being wide awake

is a long distant memory 

Amelia_v

VT

17 years old