ALL TOO SOON (A Slam Poem by Andrew Nuno)

I stand here today to speak for a boy. I stand here today to speak for a girl. A boy and a girl whose lives are over. Done. Complete. All. Too. Soon.

The Boy Was Going to Be a World-Class Surgeon

The boy was going to be a world-class surgeon, helping out in all corners of the earth. His brain is unique, his methods new. Could do more than 10 doctors could do. He finds cures like a hobby, saves lives for a day job. What an irony it is to save lives when he couldn't save his own. He was a kid into his books, one that rarely spoke. Apparently, that was an excuse to make him a joke. To push down his books and beat him down because beating him up would've meant he had a chance at happiness in that town. One day, he had enough. And as he breathed his last following the gunshot, with him went all those souls he would've saved. All gone. All. Too. Soon.

The Girl Was to Be an Inspiration

The girl was to be an inspiration. Her music the soundtrack to life, her story a lifesaver. Proof that one could rise above the taunts, the names. Of stupid, slut, idiot and lame. Of outsider, outcast, abnormal, weird. Every single day of school she feared. But why? Because somewhere deep down, she knew she was different. And she hated herself for it. She was ashamed of who she was. That is a world full of puzzle pieces, she was the one that never fit. The one flame that never lit. The one uppercut that never hit. Little did she know of the bright path that was ahead of her. A future where the humbleness from her childhood and the talent from her teenage years combined into a superstar. Of course, it is hard to see it when trees of discouragement hide the pathway. When storms of sadness surround her sunny days. And when it took to the Internet, that was when it really sunk in. To read those words on the screen, written in permanent Internet-ink. Kill yourself. Nobody likes you. You are useless. What is a girl to do at that point? With two parents that work two jobs, two brothers of which she was robbed, no friends with which to stand tall, no reason to stand but every reason to fall. And fall she did. And fall she did. One day, that was it. She was done. All. Too. Soon.

They Fell at the Hands of Haters

Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. These stories are just two of thousands untold. Of nurses, lawmen, firefighters, innovators. Several more who fell at the hands of haters. Haters who knew half the struggle, half the tale. Yet still telling them their lives they have failed. Destroying the ground beneath their feet, taking away the air with which to breathe. Making life a constant battle of living, to ignore the haters and to continue on being. They fight it, they wrestle it. The fact that maybe life isn't worth living. This idea grabs onto their minds like a virus. That there is no escaping the isolation, the loneliness. This concept beats them to a pulp within. Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words break something ever more fragile. Words break the soul. And yeah, they may never remember the exact words that were said but they'll never forget the feeling. That feeling they'll take to the grave, the feeling that someone made. Of dislike, bullying, cruelty and hate.

So How Does One Take a Stand?

So how does one take a stand? To speak for themselves and with bullies do battle, to take control of their lives and get back on the saddle. It all starts with an idea. One. Simple. Idea. The same mind that once gave them incriminating thoughts can now do them good to turn their minds to other thoughts as they should. For the world is amassed with 7 billion souls, why should one or a few decide they are dull? A thought can be the difference between life and death. To either embrace or defeat the threat. So, listen here soldiers, you're about to bid war. You're about to do things you didn't think you could do before. Say hi to the new kid, greet the outcast and form impressions and happiness that will ever last. Because you never know when that one phrase or word will stop them from unexpectedly meeting our Lord. Which is why it starts with us and only us, for us to save their lives is a must. Otherwise, we risk hearing the tales forever and ever told of children and teens never growing old. All because they decided to use a permanent solution to a temporary problem and perish. All. Too. Soon.

This slam poem video was originally published by TheHopeLine's partner, The Nuno Twins on their YouTube Channel. The Nuno Twins are a group of three high school film-making friends staying connected with Vlogs and more through their college lives.  

One of The Nuno Twins, Adrian Nuno, tells us how this video came to be: "All Too Soon" began as a slam poem that my brother Andrew wrote back at the beginning of 2014 in response to a local tragedy in our community that involved the suicide of a girl because of cyberbullying. Andrew needed to channel what had happened into something creative and this poem came about as a result.

If you have lost hope for your life, please read this article about giving life another chance. You are worthy and YOU MATTER!

If you or a friend need support right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, for free confidential, 24/7 help. For a list of crisis centers around the world and additional help, please visit the suicide prevention resource page.