The worst thing about
Bullying
Wasn't the
Wrist-twisting –
It wasn't the midnight marks
Scattered across my arms
Reminding me constantly
Of my toothpick-boned body
Weeping over
Lost self-esteem.
The worst thing about
Bullying
Wasn't the
Bad name listing –
The tiny words that
Worked like piranhas
Swimming through sound waves
Straight into
The worst of my dreams.
No,
The worst thing about
Bullying
All occurred in this one scene –
Looking in the mirror, seeing
Faded bullies leave their
Names in my skin,
Seeing hollowed-out
Stars
In my eyes that would glisten,
Suddenly,
A toxic epiphany was
In the room with me,
Pinching my eyes and
Pulling at ends.
The worst thing about
Bullying
Is that they
Were
My
“Friends.”
Bullying
Wasn't the
Wrist-twisting –
It wasn't the midnight marks
Scattered across my arms
Reminding me constantly
Of my toothpick-boned body
Weeping over
Lost self-esteem.
The worst thing about
Bullying
Wasn't the
Bad name listing –
The tiny words that
Worked like piranhas
Swimming through sound waves
Straight into
The worst of my dreams.
No,
The worst thing about
Bullying
All occurred in this one scene –
Looking in the mirror, seeing
Faded bullies leave their
Names in my skin,
Seeing hollowed-out
Stars
In my eyes that would glisten,
Suddenly,
A toxic epiphany was
In the room with me,
Pinching my eyes and
Pulling at ends.
The worst thing about
Bullying
Is that they
Were
My
“Friends.”
This piece has been published in Teen Ink’s monthly print magazine.
jetta.ck
ClarinetPower
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