Monday, March 12, 2012

Scattered Upon The Ground


                                     




                                                   He was a lively young man
                                                   full of joy and cheer
                                                   spending his days building
                                                   a future ,bright and clear

                                                   School days held a promise
                                                   always looking towards tomorrow
                                                   before his dreams were shattered
                                                   by constant pain and sorrow

                                                   Hallways became a war zone
                                                   and the battle raged within
                                                   the enemy was ever so close
                                                   he used to call it friend

                                                   He walked around so fearful
                                                   with his head hanging down
                                                   feeling hurt, lonely and excluded
                                                   like dirt upon the ground

                                                   The classrooms were even worse
                                                   with a constant feeling of dread
                                                   the more they stared and mocked
                                                   the more he hung his head

                                                   Why me, he often questioned
                                                    I just want to be their friend
                                                    why am I so very different
                                                    it became so hard to pretend

                                                    When the fires were raging inside
                                                     his empty and battered soul
                                                     yearning for that special place
                                                     to help him feel worthy and whole

                                                     He took to his secluded bedroom
                                                     curled up in a tiny ball
                                                     with anguished tears of distress
                                                     and no one noticed at all

                                                     Until one morning at sunrise
                                                     and a mother's weeping sound
                                                     teardrops fell like the dreams
                                                     that laid scattered upon the ground

                                                      Susie Swanson, 2012

                                                   
                                                     Source = Bullying In American Schools --Statistics

Six out of 10 American Teens witness Bullying at least once a day. For children in grades 6--10, one in six--or 3.2 million are victims of Bullying each year and 3.7 million are Bullies. An estimated 160,000 children miss school every day out of fear of attack or intimidation by other students. One out of every 10 students who drop out of school does so because of repeated Bullying. Those who are bullied are five times more likely to be depressed and far more likely to be suicidal.

And the list goes on--- as you've probably already noticed this is a personal issue with me...Yes I was bullied in school but not to the point that I didn't overcome and move on.. With today's kids it's even worse, and the sad part about it is nothing ever seems to be done ..swept under the rug by all involved..
And if you look around you won't find many kids that hasn't went through it in one way or the other...such a sad world for children to grow up in...... This was a very, hard poem for me to write.... Enough said for now...Susie


                                                  

29 comments:

  1. It is such a tragic situation for sure. Do parents not talk to their children about this and encourage them not to be ugly to others? I really feel for kids growing up in today's world. I don't recall ever being bullied but I did usually feel I wasn't fitting in. Now I know it didn't matter. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

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    1. Yes it is Charlotte. I've oftened wondered about the parents myself.. I've also heard that bullies were bullied themselves..so glad you weren't bullied..

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  2. Susie this was a hearfelt poem that could be written about so many children. Some so desperate that life has no meaning.

    I suspect my daughter's son gets bullied because he is not very tall, my daughter has gone to the school but they say all is well.

    She is however keeping an eagle eye , when she comes here again I will show her your poem.

    Yvonne.

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    1. Thank you Yvonne, he probably is and it's hard to get anything done..the schools turn their back on it too..my grandaughter has been going through it for sometime now.. please let her read the statistics..

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  3. Great poem, Susie, and so important these days especially... Like you said, bullying has always been with us. BUT--it seems worse these days... It's so important that this issue stays out front in everyone's minds... Parents/teachers need to recognize when this is going on ---and step in and help those kids.. Thanks so much for posting this important poem.

    We are home from our 2nd trip is a month--and both of us have colds.. Yuk! Guess it will be REST for this upcoming week for both of us.

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  4. Thank you Betsy, I agree with you one wholeheartedly.. Someone needs to step up and do their job..So sorry you're both sick..hope you feel better soon..

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  5. Susie, thanks for sharing your heart about our children who must endure bullying. It breaks my heart. But we must not bury our heads in the sand and pretend it is not happening nor pretend the child can just "get over it."

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    1. And thank you so much for your sweet words..You are so right, when we bury our heads in the sand who will help the children...

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  6. Susie, it is indeed a very sad situation and difficult time for kids in school. I can tell this poem comes from the heart for you. The bullying is just so senseless.

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  7. The poem is beautiful, however the reality is very harsh.
    I have been to a suicide prevention walk this summer on the Poughkeepsie bridge walkway. There I saw quilts made out of pictures of kids and young people who took their own lives. I was unable to sleep for nights in a row. We should try our best to let people we love know that we love them.

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    1. Oh I can only imagine what you felt when you saw this..there are many everyday that take their lives.. you know it is a very hard thing for them to endure when they feel like there's no hope..thank you so much..

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  8. You are so right, Susie, and it should not be. There is so much anger now, and not just among the children. It's an uneasy time.

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  9. A very powerful poem Susie! I feel so bad for all the kids who are bullied.

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    1. Oh I do too, Tipper it's a sad time for them..thank you

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  10. Thanks Susie. I posted this on my Fb Timeline with comment, ie, "From the "Country Side Poet" with whom I share commonn roots in the mountains of Western NC."

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    1. Thank you that is so nice of you, glad to have you on here..

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  11. Thank you and thanks for the visit..

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  12. So powerful, Susie~ the words are just heartbreaking but I know for many they are so true! Thanks for sharing!

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  13. Thank you Paula for the sweet words and for reading .I just wish we could bring more attention to it..

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  14. Such an important topic and sadly, so much in the news.

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    1. Yes it is Maple Lnae and thank you for the visit....

      Thank you jhopes, for your visit and comments..

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  15. Hi Susie, thank you for this very poignant and heart felt poem. It is a subject that really needs to be discussed and brought into the light. I was bullied too in school and it nearly crushed my spirit. I agree, it is so much worse today. It is shocking, outrageous and sad beyond words. Just a couple of weeks ago I saw that a little girl had been killed by another student in Long Beach, California. The school was just five miles from my old home where I grew up! I drove by this school every day for years. It was so hard to imagine. Two little 11 year old girls fighting over a "boy" and it got out of hand and one girl hit the other in the head, and she died a few hours later.

    If I hear one more person just excuse this all away by saying "Kids will be kids" I think I'll scream. This isn't kid stuff like we grew up with. They are exposed to so much violence today and video games that desensitize them. Children have to be taught the value of life. They have to be taught to feel compassion and respect. They have to be taught impulse control and have constructive outlets for anger. Thanks again for your poem Susie and for addressing this important subject! With love, Delisa ;)

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    1. Thank you so much Delisa for putting it into such a perspective..I tottaly agree with you..so many excuses and nothing ever gets done about it..Everyone wants to blame it on someone else..When will it end..I'm so sorry you were bullied , I know how it feels and my little grandaughter has went through it so much..It never actually started for her until Middle School...Where are the parents at? that's what I want to know..

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  16. It is so sad, but true. I can't understand why kids do this to other kids.

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    1. I ask the same question all the time Janet..thank you.

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  17. Susie, you've wrote it so beautifully and eloquently...As a teacher I see it all the time and while I certainly don't think it is right, I do understand how situations like Columbine happen. Some kids just take and take and take so much until they expolde or implode. Either way it is sad...why can't we just accept others for who they are? I'm so sorry you were targeted by bullies...

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  18. This is a touching poem about school bullying. I've seen over national TV that this is a growing problem in America. My heart goes out to children who are bullied by other kids.

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