15 years and 331 days and counting,
A month from 16 with anticipation mounting.
He came a long way from a sort of outcast,
He knew with faith and persistence the pain never lasts.

Even with a camp surrounding him with company,
He knows there is something missing.
The very thing he needed he had searched for so many years,
Was a loving comfort outside of his peers.

He felt his luck was always in the slumps,
Which pushed him to follow the beat of his own drum.
But the more upset he was he was given the notion,
That he has to gain more control of his emotions.

But one event that turned his life around,
Was the sound of his head pounding the ground.
Even though he still does his rights and wrongs,
He thanks God everyday for the strength to go on.

And with that strength he learned to forgive and forget,
Because he is now blessed with intelligence and wit.
He is thankful for family and friends that watched him grow,
Thank God he is this close to 16 years old!