Pen marks on his arm
A broken necklace
All explained away
“I can't just beat them up” he says

He could
That’s the problem
He would be caught like a bear found with a limp rabbit at his feet
No one would believe the swipe that downed the rabbit was self defense
What rabbit in his right mind would attack a bear? 

And when they look at him they see a bear
Strong paws
Sharp claws
Steel jaws
What else is there to see?

I’ve seen them glance at the scars on their friends face
Then at him
Then back at the scars
He looks like the one who hurt them
But that doesn't mean that he wants to hurt you

He loves to convince people he got held back for two years
because he beat up someone in first grade
But he could also convince you that he flew to the moon

He says he hates long term subs with every fiber of his being
But that’s because they called him a vulture
and taught him fake history

He calls his peers annoying idiots
But that’s because they act without tact
knowing he can’t fight back
That all they have to do is cry ack and he gets sacked

He loves to point out that our society says
“be who you are” and
“don’t be a bully” in the same sentence. 
“But what if who you are is a bully”?
He asks just to find the gap in their logic

He rarely tries to see from other points of view
But other points of view tell him he should punish himself
for the crime of being strong and powerful

When they look at him they see a bear
But I see an owl
A boy whose parents chewed up wisdom and spat it into his open beak

I see a boy who hates school
Because he could teach the teacher and educate the educator
But they strap him to his chair with all the other students and pound on his head
Repeating “understand this understand this”
Oblivious to his cry of “I already do”

I see a boy who can make up nonsense so sensible
people ask what textbook he’s trying to emulate
A boy who loves the bruises that football awards him
And uses some latin word to describe his empty plate
A boy who practices his nerf gun skills on me
Only to be ready for any boy I ever date

He is not the fear he inspires
Any more than a tree is a single leaf
Even when he misfires
He is more than the smoke from the release

Why can’t they all see what I see
Please I want to tell them
you are hurting him
Please Blink maybe even squint
Please Look again
Maybe this time you’ll see my little brother
The way I do