I walk down the hall
With their whispers surrounding me,
Their glares stabbing me one at a time,
And their words filling my mind like black smoke.

I sit down quietly and tell myself
‘Be strong. You're ok. You're gonna be okay.’

I walk into the classroom
With their whispers surrounding me,
My mind full of their venomous words,
And their attention targeted at me.

And tell myself
‘Be strong. You're ok.’

I look at the board and take notes
With their whispers surrounding me,
My anxiety rising,
And their eyes never leaving my body.

I clench my pencil and tell myself
‘Stay strong.’

‘Stay strong.’
‘Stay strong.’
‘Stay strong.’

(‘Stay. Strong.’)

For 7 hours I keep this up.
I walk, sit, eat, and do everything alone.

Excluded? Been there.
Picked on? Check that off the list.
Bullied? Well, that's basically my life.

Ever stood up for myself? Never.

Told an adult? Yeah, but they never listen.

I push myself on and on everyday to keep going because I know that there's a rainbow at the end of this hellish rain,
Because I know it'll get better,
But through everything... they bully me to the point of tears for nothing more than having a good image to others.

"If you pick on the weak, they'll become strong."

I never understood it because I know what it feels like from the other end of the stick.
I know what it's like being down on the ground and yet they still don't hesitate to continue.
And I know that it's wrong,

But some people just don't care.
Some people just want the power and the fear because once you become afraid, you become submissive to the "superior" being who pushed you down in the first place.

Some people just want power, but they become so desperate that they don't care how they get it; even if it’s from the wrong way.