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1977
Parkland Junior High
You were older and tougher
and to this day I don't have a clue why
you targeted me
You said it was because I had threatened
your friend's little sister
which was untrue and ridiculous
Maybe you believed it
or believed it enough
to justify
The taunts I could deal with
but the threats brought me low
with shame and fear
Usually vague
"I'm gonna get you"
but sometimes mind racingly specific
"I'm gonna tear your earrings outta your earlobes"
Of course, I stopped wearing earrings
Changed my route from school
Even faked illness to stay home
and away from you
Friends were no help
They were scared too
even the boys
No adults knew
I hated you but
I hated myself more
for being afraid of you
for retreating
for writing poems
instead of standing up to you
Fast forward 20-odd years
another middle school
Bus ride
The cool clique of girls throwing paper
in my daughter's hair
Although I've taught her to use her words
she turns around
punches one of them
hard
I smile with pride.
submitted for Poetry Jam, Bully
15 comments:
I am so sorry you went through what you did because of a bully. They just have no idea what fear and also a lasting damage they cause with their bullying. So glad you taught your own daughter to stand up for herself. It's the only way to stop it in the end because others just simply seem to want to stand by and watch or, they encourage the bully in some way to continue doing it.
Not easy at all.
hated myself more
for being afraid of you
ugh that is reality right there..a.nd how bullying can have a lasting impact...way to go to your daughter...smiles.
Two different ways of handling a situation! It truly was awful what that tormentor did to you, and the scars it undoubtedly leaves yet today.
And, though I don't believe in violence, I say good for your daughter as well! The others learned they could not mess with her; and sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do!
Thanks for the write!
My husband and I tell our kids to do just that if they have to.
YES!!!!! I am generally nonviolent. But your daughter just made the rest of her school years a whole lot easier! Good for her.
Pow! Wonderful - sometimes we do get to live out our lives through our kids. I thought this was great. Moskowitz
Yep, sometimes the way to deal with it is hit back hard too ~
Thanks for sharing this ~
I'm sorry this happened to you ... but I am glad you wrote poems at that tender age. I'm proud of your daughter too. My daughter had to punch someone once because a group of kids was picking on her special needs brother. We still laugh about that, even though it happened more than thirty years ago!
I love this ending! Let's stop this cycle, bam! lol I love it~ Wow...yes, I was bullied, too.
Well Done
As long as she stands up for herself, she's going to be fine.
You did good.
So sad and then, POW! Oh, I love this.
Also love the ending on this...sometimes standing strong is necessary. Kudos to your daughter!
You hated yourself more than you hated your attacker. A telling statement.
Good for her! I've never understood why anyone wants to be a bully in the first place but bad or lack of parental interest in the bullies' lives must be factors somewhere along the line.
Not long after starting high school, my younger son got some teasing being a redhead. Tried the ignoring method ect to no avail, then just lamped the bully one out of the blue. The end, basically.
He's proud of being a 'ginger' and it hasn't held him back one bit!
sorry to say, but sometimes a bully needs a good punch in the face...I know a story of a bully that got pummeled by his victim one day, and the two of them were good to go for the rest of the school year...
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