In the shadows, where dreams once bloomed,
A whisper echoes through the night,
Youth, with hearts once full of light,
Now stumble lost, to paths of doom.

A powder's touch, a needle's sting,
Promises of escape so sweet,
But in the end, they face defeat,
As death arrives on silent wing.

Once they danced with life so bright,
Now they fall, a fading breath,
Each dose a step towards cruel death,
A drug, a thief that steals the light.

The laughter fades, the eyes grow dim,
In empty streets where hope once played,
And souls, in sorrow, deeply weighed,
Are lost to shadows dark and grim.

Oh, youth, where have you gone?
Why trade your future for despair?
In the void, none hear your prayer,
As life and death now carry on.

The world, now colder, mourns the loss,
Of vibrant hearts, now turned to stone,
For death has claimed them, all alone,
A price too great, a tragic cost.

Let us remember those who’ve passed,
And fight to keep their memory bright,
For in the dark, there is still light,
If we but stand, together, steadfast.
© Author Brian Makara