I. Paige
They step away and shake their heads
as though they somehow could
catch blindness like the plague,
words said loudly enough to
tear into her eardrum and scar
her already pounding brain,
adding to the surmounting pain.
She sits alone and cries at night
friendless, hopeless, and forgotten
tears stain her cheeks, hands, and cloths,
unhappy, she thinks of death – revenge
but knows that no one would care
because all she is to them
is the over emotional blind girl.
Her sleeves hide rows of razorblade scars
an attempt to feel something else – failed,
desperation eats at her mind as she suffers
from the biting, tearing, insulting words –abuse
at school by day and home by night,
untrusting and scared she has no one
to say it will be alright and mean it – no lies.
II. Paul
He lashes out with rolled fists
swinging at everyone who makes him mad
says he doesn’t need anyone else
because the pain is too much to bear,
so he breaks noses and cracks heads
busts lips and swears until it’s just too much
for him it’s the only way to shut them up.
They call him names and shove him down
ridicule his twisted feet and the way he walks,
steal his things and kick his wheel chairs
because they know he can’t do anything after surgery,
he sits and steams, cries when they cannot see
until his heart has hardened and cracked,
then he doesn’t cry anymore but throws more hits – hide the pain.
He goes home and his father yells at him,
shoves him into the wall and knocks him to the floor,
makes him cry harder then curses him more
until he fights back and gets hurt – his mother watches,
he bottles up the pain some more and tries to keep it down
but at school it’s just too much and he lashes out once more,
trying to escape the pain but finding it impossible to do.
III. Arica
Cold words bite into
a fragile mind – tearing
away at the thin strings
clinging, tangled, frayed
of hope – paled – against
the encroaching darkness
of defeat, desperation.
Tears stain a pale face
aqua eyes brim with pain
unable to understand the words
that they whisper to the air
she repeats them again
her mind recycling them
until they burn – permanent.
Anger slicing through scars
as their eyes burrow into her
wondering, thinking, criticizing
as though she were an animal
trapped – forever – in a cage
lashed again and again
until she collapses – broken.
IV. Alvin
Smiling brightly he greets them
with a wave and an optimistic; Hello,
while they tease him cruelly – openly
to his face for other to watch and laugh,
they know he is unable to understand
the words they spit venomously or
the games they play for their amusement.
He builds his world of legos
multi-colored plastic constructs
to fill his expansive imagination,
he laughs and talks – incoherently
while they laugh louder, harder
not with him as he thinks
but against him – ignorantly.
They lower him into the ground
his laughter no longer to be heard,
a prayer is sang for the boy
who is on this earth no more,
tears fall as parents grieve
the world holds its breath,
they repent –guilty – but it’s too late.
V. Them
Four hearts broken and four minds torn
by the hands of those too ignorant to understand,
people who will go on with their lives and forget
that they have forever damaged someone else
with words and actions that belittle and harm
an undeserving and innocent soul who cannot escape
the hell they have helped to put them in.
…Will you only care when the rest of them are dead too?
is that what it will take to finally persuade you?...
Author notes
Alright, so I'm hoping I got my point across in this peice, it was very hard for me to write and I cried a lot while doing so.
I'm Paige, I'm legally blind but I just used blind as that's what everyone always things, your blind or your not.
My brother is Paul, he has anger problems, gets picked on at school because he was born with club feet and after nine surgeries he can finally walk, somewhat normally.
Arica is a girl from my years in special education in high school, she has learning disabilities and the mental capasity of a ten-year-old. She cried a lot and most of the time I was the only one who'd try and help her because the teachers just told her to get over it.
Alvin is a boy from middle school, I do believe he was autistic, he died in surgery at the age of 16 and suddenly everyone noticed that he was actually a person, after his death i wanted to crack heads and brake noses, I hate how they only cared once he was six feet under.
Thank you for reading and please leave a comment.
For contest: The Stupidity Has To Stop! if this isn't what you were looking for feel free to DQ it, I will hopefully be entering something new soon so its not a big deal.
A contest entry
- FED UP WITH DISCRIMINATION!!! by LovelyLauren.
37500 points, ended March 17, 65 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - The Stupidity Has To Stop! by UnknownFemale.
700 points, ended April 5, 42 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - No Justice, No Peace by Backporchphilosopher.
600 points, ended April 25, 14 entries
Bronze trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Any advice?
Comments
1 - 14 of 14
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This made me cry, And its sad to think this happens to people everyday. Good write, we feel your pain.
-Amber -
Wow!
The injustice of discrimination; the powerful emotional write moved me beyond words and brought tears to my eyes. Truly great write. Thanks for entering.
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Wow
This is so sad. But it's exactly what happens. People cannot accept someone who is different in any way. They simply can't get it into their heads that a person is a person, regardless of whatever makes them different.
You did a great job with this.
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Wow, it's easy to see why you won gold.
I see it in this world, it's hard not to. But it's even harder knowing that no matter how much we want it to go away, it won't 'cause people are too stubborn.
Do you still know Arica?
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It seems that way, that there's no hope for change. Thank you for the comment and no, I don't still not Arica, we moved and I graduated. I havent seen her in about 2 years now.
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Much emotion.
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People can be so incredibly cruel and just plain ignorant
I applaud you for voicing everything that's on your heart and mind
A long piece, for sure, but one worthy of the read
Thank you for sharing and for being part of this contest
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Definately agree here.
I am registered as blind, not completely blind but to everyone that is what I am so...
I have known several people with autism and aspergers, tourettes, learning difficulties, cerebal plasy and the like.
future memories on this site, my friend from school, has cerebal palsy.
I hate the way people discriminate.
The only hate I have is for hate.
Well wrote!
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Thank you for the comment. I know what you mean, I am registered as blind, but no one sees the difference between legally blind and completely blind, its very frusterating. The only thing really worth hating is hate, that and discrimination.
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This brought back memories from grade school- children being picked on and abused by other students. I never really defended them, too timid I guess, but tried to be their friends. later in life I have worked with mentally handicapped people. It hurts me deeply to look in their beautiful eyes and know that people have callously made fun of them, put them down, made them feel less.
This was wonderfully written from different points of view. The author notes brought even more feeling to the piece.
Well worthy of gold
Khia
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Thank you for the comment. This poem goes over some peoples heads because they can't relate and aren't willing to try and understand it. That's one of the reasons I did this from four different point of views so that I could possibly connect to my readers with at least one of them. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment this.
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Nice write.
Thanks for the entry and good luck! -
im glad i wasnt deterred by the length of this. i really feel for this poem and all the people involved. there are always some people who are cruel and in groups people can be really mean. just know there are always good people out there too. one typo in line 68 should be "greets" besides that very strong piece.
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"words said loudly enough to
tear into her eardrum and scar
her already pounding brain,
adding to the surmounting pain."
People are so cruel. I love that you mentioned this because it seems to be the haters' MO to say something mean loud enough that you hear it.
"desperation eats at her mind as she suffers
from the biting, tearing, insulting words –abuse
at school by day and home by night,"
I love how you worded this in a way that makes this description so powerful. Too many people have suffered this kind of pain.
"he sits and steams, cries when they cannot see
until his heart has hardened and cracked,
then he doesn’t cry anymore but throws more hits – hide the pain."
I am glad you brought light to this affect of discrimination. Some people find it easier to deal with the pain by acting out, sometimes violently against others or themselves.
The ending septet in "Arica" is written quite beautifully, and it really makes me emotional reading your words. You are a brilliant writer.
OMG, Alvin first gave me chills and then made me cry. This is stunningly powerful work. "the world holds its breath, they repent -guilty - but it's too late." wow
Them is a wonderful way to end this poem. Wow, you are such an amazing writer. I can't wait to find out who you are and add you as a favorite. Thank you so much for entering my contest.
Lauren
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