The Comeback Kid
I am the comeback kid,
Fell down so many times,
But always stood up,
Pushed, skidding into the mud,
Yet always kept my head above,
Last in every race -
I’m running at a different kind of pace.
At the gate, I’m quiet, some say meek,
Never been tempted by any type of clique.
When I’m at home,
I switch off the lights,
And I close the blinds,
I walk barefoot and try to be kind.
I listen to music,
My body drifts into blue acoustics,
Though I make mistakes,
I wear them with grace.
I don’t try to be liked,
I resent all kinds of spite,
I wear what I like,
I don’t resemble any particular type.
You can’t catch me,
I’m billowing free.
Like a wave to be surfed,
A wind that has blown,
A paint that has splashed,
A swaying gymnastics sash.
You will never get to me,
I rest in two directions,
The up and the down,
The joy and the pain.
I am the comeback kid – and I fell so many times, but always stood up again!
Fell down so many times,
But always stood up,
Pushed, skidding into the mud,
Yet always kept my head above,
Last in every race -
I’m running at a different kind of pace.
At the gate, I’m quiet, some say meek,
Never been tempted by any type of clique.
When I’m at home,
I switch off the lights,
And I close the blinds,
I walk barefoot and try to be kind.
I listen to music,
My body drifts into blue acoustics,
Though I make mistakes,
I wear them with grace.
I don’t try to be liked,
I resent all kinds of spite,
I wear what I like,
I don’t resemble any particular type.
You can’t catch me,
I’m billowing free.
Like a wave to be surfed,
A wind that has blown,
A paint that has splashed,
A swaying gymnastics sash.
You will never get to me,
I rest in two directions,
The up and the down,
The joy and the pain.
I am the comeback kid – and I fell so many times, but always stood up again!
This poem is copyright (©) Carmella de Keyser 2025

About the Writer
Carmella de Keyser
Carmella is from Belsize Park, London but now lives in Essex. She has a History degree from the University of Manchester and writes poetry for both adults and children, exploring her Balkan heritage, identity and feelings of displacement. She co-founded the Harlow Circle of Poetry and you can see some of her work in 'Your Harlow' and in the next edition of 'Dream Catcher Literary Magazine'. She is compiling a children's collection of poems based on all the adventures she has been on with her two children. In her spare time Carmella is a Vegetarian who loves the Beatles, sci-fi and adores animals especially elephants!