“I’m Brooklyn Bailey, a songwriter and an aspiring poet who uses words as expression.

“Poetry is important to me because when I started journaling to express my feelings it turned into poetry and then poetry became my expression/escape. I found I really enjoyed writing in that way and it has lead me to writing poems I would like to publish and share with the world.

“This poem, Bankrupt, explores the idea of emotional self-destruction driven by illusion, misplaced trust, and avoidance of reality. The poem acts as a warning and reflection on how easily people can romanticise harmful situations, ignore red flags, and slowly lose themselves.

“It’s essentially saying: If you keep investing in illusions and harmful connections, you’ll end up emotionally bankrupt, but you still have a chance to wake up before that happens.”

Bankrupt by Brooklyn Bailey

You embarrass yourself for someone,
For love you’ve never seen.
You make assumptions through movie screens,
With no morals from your own beliefs.

You cradle the thought of peace,
From the acres of bloody fists.
The storm carries the sound of anguish,
Then your ears start to bleed,
Because you never checked the forecast,
As you thought the sky would clear.

I see the footprint-shaped dents,
In your body that has withered,
As you’re not learning from the lessons,
You just keep on trusting these first impressions.

Craving the warmth and comfort,
From others who set fires.
The smoke makes your veins seize up,
And your brain go numb,
Now oxygen seems too expensive,
So wake up, before you go bankrupt.

© Brooklyn Bailey 2026