Monkey in the zoo
One day we went to the zoo
And one girl said to someone:
‘That monkey looks like you’
It was really cruel
And everyone called her a fool
People started to bully her
So she ended up with no friends
She now hates school and wants to have fun in the sun
Anonymous
One of 5%
Being in an all-girl school they bring in guest speakers that relate mostly to girls
Breast cancer Ireland came in and gave us a talk and said they had a check-up van outside
My friends and I being messers said it would hilarious to go
Kate went in first and came out dying laughing saying how hilariously awkward it was
Siobhan and Niamh had gone in and out too
It was my turn
I didn’t come out dying laughing
I came out dying inside
Later that week I was one of the unlucky 5% under 18 year olds battling breast cancer
Rita B.
Mask
She’s one that always seems so happy
But inside her head falls, falls deeper everyday into a lonely lonely place
Friends all around her but never make her happy for more than five minutes
Feeling so empty and unable to be happy
Things that made her happy before were unable to anymore
Anonymous
Blank
To write this poem I would need thoughts
At the moment I have no thoughts
I am trying to think of what to write
But I am stuck here thinking what is right
So therefore my thoughts are blank in sight
Alanna Freeman and Sorcha mcInerney
Emptiness
The empty lifeless hallow feeling eating away with your soul
But a simple smile fools all
The slits on your skin
A cry for help
You want to feel something
Pain for you is better than no emotion
It’s a reminder you’re still alive
You want to live but the constant battle with the demons in your head is tiring
It wore him down
It was too much and he left it behind the clueless fools
They didn’t know and will never know
But it’s too late
He’s gone
Anonymous
Everyday thoughts
At this moment in time
I am meant to be writing a big, creative, and imaginative and heart wrenching poem
But I sit here; I feel nothing, no inspiration, no ideas
I look around the room and see my fellow classmates
Digging into their pages with so much excitement and ambition and im here
empty
The only thought swirling around my head is food
When is lunch?
What’s on the menu?
I wonder if my tuna melt in the fridge is gone off
Nancy O’Brien
21st century society
Every time you eat a tayto
Everyone will hate you
Because those fats and carbs
Are like those in monkey bars
Just because I do sitting squats
It doesn’t mean I wear fitting tops
When they see me in a skirt
They only want to hurt
When they see me in a hat
All they think is ‘oh she’s so fat’
As I stammer my way towards the disco feet aching in my six inch heels
I look at the girls next to me
Who have clearly eaten no meals
Does society really think its ok to have 15 year olds looking this way
Anonymous
My story
8th of October 2008
That date I will never forget
I found out my aunt was dead
At 8 years old I didn’t know much
Just that she was ‘sick’ and gone to heaven
3 years later I realised something isn’t right
The story didn’t make sense?
I began asking questions hoping my mother would tell
She quietly told me, the truth, my aunt was not sick
She was raped at the age of 9 by a family friend
And then later committed suicide
To me this was a shock, I couldn’t believe;
Aunt chose to leave
I understand now the pain she must have been in
Leaving us at 31 was so young
And was a shock for us all.
Anonymous
My granddad
As the years have passed
Questions have been asked
About who was told to be my grandad
He was old and grey
With a big glass frame
I’ve been told the memories
Even though one remains
I remember one night
When I got a fright
He would tickle my chin
And embrace a grin
He would hold me tight
Every night
To keep me warm
And safe from harm
Anonymous
The year of 1966
Born in 1966 on a farm yard bed
The first thing that appeared was his small round head
He was the first born child
The coming years were going to be so wild
Anon
That’s just life
Everyone is different
No two people are the same
Different
Thoughts, words, languages
We all have different aims
Some people find it good
Others find it bad
But that’s what we called society
And to be honest it’s kinda sad
We look at each other
We judge, we don’t see
That causes the bullies to fill the gun
Shots fired 5,4,3,2,1
But that’s just life that’s just the way
Today tomorrow and yesterday
Alanna freeman and Rebecca Ryan
Eyes
These things on your face are like windows
Letting you peep through
Some windows are cloudy
Some are dark
Then other well..
They stare as you walk through
Daggers following your every move
Every motion, every curve, style and sequence
Hard to run, hard to hind
Sometimes I just want to curl up inside
It’s sad you know
They really are windows to life
Some people don’t know how to use them
Being their eyes
Rebecca Ryan
What’s the point?
He takes it, trying not to break
He looks up at his mother, anger written all over her face
She doesn’t realise what she’s doing
Doesn’t understand why he does what he does
He’s heard it all before, that he’s lazy, useless, he has brains if only he’d use them
When its over he goes up to his room
Dragging his feet as he goes
He turns on his music as loud as it can
Just to block out the thoughts that always come
It doesn’t work
‘do it, do it, you worthless piece of shit’ they say to him
He has to obey them or something bad will happen to the ones he loves
He goes to the drawer and pulls out a blade
He looks at it
He pushes it against his arm flinching as the skin breaks
Drawing blood running down his wrist
‘more, more’ they order
So he cuts deeper and deeper
More blood runs coming faster than normal
He doesn’t stop
He doesn’t care anymore
Emma O’Donovan
My non-alcoholic hangover
This pain in my head
seems to never end
Caused by another poison,
Hot drink or drugs or
Something of the sort
Just a population
A society of commentators
That judge and oppress,
Due to a lack of material things
And I can’t feel comfortable
Can’t look like me, because
“This is how you should be”
And pressured with the opinions
Of those younger and older
Who seem to know better?
Who knows what’s best for me
Than me, and
I just want to be on the beach in Inchydoney
For that is home
Anonymous
F@/*boy
Definition of a f@/>boy:
A boy who doesn’t give a shit about anyone only himself and leaves a trail of broken hearts,
A boy who tells you he loves you and makes you feel special
Only to turn around and stab you in the back,
A boy who degrades you and makes you feel ugly and pathetic when you don’t give into him.
Why is it I always go back ?
Why is it he always wins ?
I want to say no,
Its like he has me under his spell…
Anonymous
Harsh Eyes
Why is that people judge?
It may be because they enjoy it,
Are jealous or hold a grudge.
That moment when you step
Inside the school doors,
Everybody just stares, like
Predators on all fours.
I watch them glare at what I’m wearing,
Afraid of what they’ll say about me,
So I end up tearing down the hall,
Regretting why I ran instead of standing tall.
But no matter where you go in the world,
There’ll always be that one person, who won’t care,
And just judge you, and insult you, until you tear
Anonymous
Unknown
One day the door opened a figure came in, happy and chirpy,
what I supposed to do
I thought I don’t hate you
how was I supposed to know that this figure
hated my figure
she said hello
I felt like this fellow all why inside
She got a ring on her finger and
then she changed her way of lingering
Any time she got she put us down,
It was like she felt she had a crown.
She gave us a sickness which unfortunately wasn’t contagious
It was a sickness which cannot go unless we are ready to let go
When she was around those we love the sickness was hidden lurking in the shadows one day at fourteen,
ten years later one became better and it was like some kind of letter had been written
One was free but the other still stuck
It became obvious that one is scared of what she would do with the crown if she frowned
What am I to do , the sickness is still around but it doesn’t seem lay underground where it should remain.
Anonymous
Match Day
I nervously got up in the morning,
Couldn’t sleep.
Tossing and turning all night
Breakfast was a no go area
The pain in my stomach became worse and worse,
Knowing how big a day it was
Reaching the field made it become more and more realistic
Got my bags from the boot and rushed to the dressing room
All the team as nervous as me.
Getting out on the pitch made my heart beat so fast
Faster than ever before
I couldn’t even breathe anymore
In goals for the first time was exciting
But loads of pressure
With my hurl in the ready position,
The ref blew the whistle
I was ready
Anonymous
Our Solar System
Life is just so complicated
It’s just so plain to see
The planets in our solar system
Don’t revolve around you or me
Jupiter is like the father planet
In the middle of them all
Saturn is like the mother planet
All caring with rings around so small
Let’s get to Venus and earth the twins that look so alike
The fight like siblings to be the best
But earth comes out on top that’s life!
Now all the others revolve around the sun
It’s just so plain to see
They do the same as me and you
The world doesn’t revolve around me
Anonymous
My Escape
I di not used to feel this way,
Depressed and down all the time,
But because of social media and society,
I compare your body with mine,
I try to keep a smile on my face, but other days I can’t cope
I break down and feel spry for myself while my friends reassure me with hope
Hope that everything will change, and they will always be there for me,
In reality nothing changes forever feeling depressed is what I’ll be
Things got hard at home when mum and dad started to fight,
I did not realise how bad things were until their shouting woke me at night
The situation really affected me in ways they never realised,
But if I did not have my family’s support I don’t know how would have survived.
Things are slowly coming together, but I still don’t feel like me,
But I guess I have to come to terms that is now my reality.
Anonymous
The Baby Book
I was 13 years old when I found it, my baby book.
I looked through it all, the pictures stuck there, capturing a moment that was supposed to be happy, but it wasn’t
My mother’s face gave it all away sitting on the bed holding me limply in her arms as if I was nothing, just a figure of her imagination.
She was 22 when she met my father, in a night club. I guess you could call it a one night stand.
intoxicated, they never thought of the consequences. As my mother wrote in the book, I was a “surprise.”
When I read that line my heart sank, I was a mistake, I was one of those kids from a one night stand. The ache in my chest made it hard to breathe because I never understood why she never smiled in my baby pictures until that day.
My dad was always around, but never in a good way. I was 2 years old sitting there watching him pin my mother to a wall.
They never stayed together but still to this day I see him almost every weekend if I’m lucky.
When I was 8 my mother met someone new. We moved house and everything changed.
I hated him, I saw him as trying to replace my father. Then my mother got pregnant, a planned pregnancy, a baby she wanted.
It was a boy. He’s 6 now, he’s my world. If I lost him I would lose myself.
I was I was 15 years old when my mother gave me the ring my father gave her. They were supposed to be married. I had never felt s alone in my life.
Anonymous
Me
Each and every day
My sadness deepens
It’s weird ya know?
Not being able to be happy.
It’s weird ya know?
Having to take meds to help change how you feel
When all they do is make you feel worse
Its not fun having to listen to people who don’t get it say “get over it” and “smile for once.”
I would if I could.
Its weird ya know?
Feeling this way,
Each and every day, just want it all to go away.
But it doesn’t, it worsens each and every day
Anonymous
Teenage drinking
I don’t see why its illegal its not like we do it to be cool
We do it to have fun it makes us feel good it gives us confidence
Adults think we just over do it but we don’t
We know how much is enough.
Anon
NETFLIX AND CHILL
I thought it was innocent when he asked me to come over
But the minute I arrived I was expected to roll over
I didn’t want to but did i have a choice, would we text me again if I rejoice?
Maybe hell like me if i give him a thrill but im not sure about this Netflix and chill
The movie on in the background only on for five minutes but he already wants me to feel his penis
Maybe he does like me or maybe he’s boned maybe we just wants to tell his friends he’s scored should I tell him to stop before my cherry is popped the first time is supposed to be meaningful but this boy just wants the pull.
Anon
Six feet down
Six feet under ground
His body lays there
He makes no sound
The bullies carry on
As if he didn’t take his life
As if he didn’t see suicide
As if he didn’t see suicide as a solution to their strife.
The moon shines bright
It shines at night
It gives us light
But not for his family
Who still suffer the grief
Who still get nightmares
Who still can’t sleep
Who still endure his pain
But where is the fun
In mocking someone
For standing out of the crowd
For being themselves
For being unique
For being different
Anon
Bullied
Being bullied isn’t fun
You go home thinking your worthless
Thinking you don’t belong in society
You feel like you don’t have a say in the world
Feeling like everyone looks at you weirdly
Feeling that no one cares
No one knows what you feel like
Everyone laughs when you do something thinking it’s cool
Staying away from society so you can’t be judged
Living in your bedroom so you don’t have to talk to anyone else and avoid further embarrassment that has alredy come your way
Hoping that you can avoid everyone
Thinking you can’t go to anyone cause they’ll laugh and not care
Hoping for the day you fit in
Waiting to be noticed
Thinking that one day you will have the courage to tell people
Rachel Browne
No Rhyme Rant
When theyre all rhyming off words and poems,
your still on your first paragraph
next you know you’re in a world of your own fifty miles away
people think your just dumb or ditsy or just plain lazy
when your actally trying you do give a shit
the storys thinking the things that I do ina world of my own
they label inaproate or irrilavant to write for school
if you cant rhyme out the ancient scroll they say its alright ,that’s its okay that you try
refuse to let them label you in tests assments
(but this is just a rant im all good i like school )
Becky Ryan
3 years of..
3 years of stress, work and constant judgement,
3 years of panicking for the next assignment,
3 years of studying and trying not to cry,
3 years of hoping that my results will be high.
3 years of essays, reading and notes,
3 years learning off irrelevant English quotes,
3 years of Irish, maths and analysing,
3 years of missing out on all the socialising.
3 years of angry teachers and fake friends,
Just to receive a piece of paper at the end.
Karen Ryan
Poor little child
We wake up early
After barely sleeping all night
Going to school
Oh what a life.
Rushing to class, doing your homework
If I’m honest, I wouldn’t really mind
It’s all in your head you poor little child.
They make us believe
It’s all not true
Your education is more important than you
Go home and go to sleep
Preparing for the next day of the week.
Grace Lake
Kids with Kids
Kicked out of her home at just sixteen
With non-supportive parents who were not keen
On the way that she was living her life
They did not want her to be a teen wife
But she was expecting and she though it was right
To get married and maybe they might
Have a happy life together full of song and joy
And he would develop to a man from a boy
But that isn’t quite the way that it worked out
After a few aggressive arguments which involved some screams and shouts
She walked out and was left alone
With a baby, on the street and no place to call home.
Hazel MF
Same OId
School is the same thing everyday
Writing,learning and nothing to say
Teachers screaming in your ear
So much you are unable to hear
The stress of the leaving
Your sleep you are grieving
All for just a college degree
Just to end up in a decent job and not ending up like me .
Shannon Creamer
The sh*t we deal with !!
The things people go through
It’s some tough sh*t
Some hit rock bottom
Their hearts are left in bits.
Experiences may vary from death to love to heartbreak
The people seem so fake
Tearing us apart give it a break.
Life isn’t easy
Everyone has it hard
Be there for one another for when you’re in need
He/she might be there to stop your heart bleed.
Boys can be the cause of a lot of girls problems
We see that girl cry in the bathroom of the night club,
our hearts go out to her
for we all know we could be next !
The perfect life you’re looking for …..
A figment of your imagination…..
-Olivia Cahalan
Session moth
Pretty young girl from a nice town,
Always got good grades to keep away the frowns.
Always sweet and happy when her parents greet her,
but on a Friday night her parents should meet her.
Skirt up her bum and her nagin in her pocket
Into the bathroom and downs it like a rocket.
In her head she is numb, with a rollie between her finger and thumb,
The smartest girl in school is actually very dumb.
Eire McCarthy
The Loner
Everday I come home , I walk up to my room
Log into snapchat and snap a few of my crew,
Everyone opens but no one replies
Everyone hates me, I try not to cry
I wake every morning, dreading school
Because im not cool
I sit there in the corner being a mourner, of the meanies
I used to call my friends
To them my heart bends
Its me… the 21st century Loner.
Mary Reidy, Aoife Duignan and Liobhán Spillane
Society
Society today is a messed up place
There is no such thing as equality gender or race
For girls you must be pretty, hot and have an amazing face
Boys must be tough, hard and show no emotion
But when some one doesn’t fit in there is such commotion
So this generation needs to stop
We need to stand out of the crowd
We need to be ourselves
We need to be different
Anon
School life
School fun they say,
It’s how you find your way
In job interviews they don’t ask the value of X
When all we care about is who we text
Teachers don’t care what we want for our future
For all they know I could want to be a butcher.
Anon
Netflix and Chill
I thought it was innocent going after school
But little did I know I was gonna be the fool, he slyly put his hand on my leg
I asked him to stop please I begged.
I ran out of the house after our fight
I had nowhere to go later that night
I looked thought my bag and found the pills.
I took too many after I decided to kill
– Ciara Griffin
Feelings
Does anyone else find it crazy that you can be so fucking depressed and no one around you notices? Not your parents your siblings your friends your teachers your classmates, no one. Like you can literally be on the verge of tears drowning and everyone can be totally oblivious.
-Aisling Lynch
Teachers
When your stupid and you can read a small bit the world is hard.
When you are in school all the teaches thinks your stupid but you’re not when you get 7cs 1B 2DS then you know that your are smart. So you can tell the teacher you’re smart like everyone else.
Anon
“Pressure”
Probably one of the most pressurizing aspects of my life is my gender. Not because I’m gay, confused or a bender.
It’s because of the expectations, the things to live to. This aint no build a girl and you’re not perfect too.
I’m not depressed with issues but some girls drive me crazy.
They all think too much and I’m really too lazy.
They’re fake from every aspect down to the tone of their skin.
Pretend to like each other to get ahead and win.
-Anonymous
“I’m single because?”
I’m single because nobody takes relationships seriously anymore.
I’m single because people would rather cheat than work it out.
I’m single because I’m smart enough to know people lie and will eventually disappoint you.
I’m single because I hate ending up looking stupid.
I’m single because id rather be with someone who has goals rather than someone who just parties.
I’m single because “trust” is a foreign word to me.
I’m single because I think chasing is a game and I stopped playing a while back.
-Anonymous
“Skin and Bones”
Skin and bones
Skin and bones
That’s all what people care about
Society tells girls to lose weight
To paint our bodies prettily
To hide our imperfections.
Society tells boys to build muscle,
To aim six packs, to get taller.
But we will not be mirror images.
Skin and bones
Skin and bones
They are not important. Society is wrong.
What’s important is stored inside,
Waiting patiently for you to let it out.
So don’t cover yourself in make-up,
Don’t spend hours at the gym.
Your real self is just waiting inside,
Because what’s important is only beneath the skin.
-Anonymous
“Tomorrow”
Thoughts of school tomorrow,
Fills me with sorrow.
The black uniform,
Darker than the mood.
Constantly filled with the thoughts of food.
-Anonymous
“Expectations”
Girls are expected to be slim and perfect,
To use shampoo to even make our hair ‘Worth It’
We get our hearts broken by being played like toys,
From guys wanting to impress their friends.
We know them as ‘Fuck Boys’
I wish guys treated us in a respectful way.
It would keep our minds and hearts at bay.
-Anonymous
“Being a Teenager”
For those of you who say school days and youth are the best days of you life, have obviously changed since you were young.
From a girls point of view teenage years are the most stressful times of your life.
From dealing with ‘Fuck Boys’ to the pressures of drinking and smoking.
I have yet to come across a boy who cares or doesn’t just want something off you. The nights I thought would be good, turned into an unremembered mess.
From not being able to handle drink to regretting all the things I can’t even remember doing.
Saying I will never repeat my mistakes, is a lie because that’s what you do, it’s TY.
-Anonymous
“Being a Teen 1.0.1”
Being a teenager is tough,
And some days are more than rough.
The pressure to be smart and pretty,
Is not at all witty.
The stress of dressing nicely,
Can also be quite pricey.
Between contouring and smokey eyes,
I would rather sit and eat some fries.
After all the rough days,
There are still some good times,
Like hanging out with my friends.
This makes life transcend.
-Dearbhla Slattery
“Netflix and Chill”
I thought it was innocent going after school,
But little did I know I would look like a fool.
Twenty minutes into netflix and chill,
Bill started to feel me with excitement and thrill.
Nine months later she arrived by my side,
“No it’s not yours” I cheated and lied
I’ll warn my child to never be tricked,
Don’t be lead on and try not to get dicked.
– Elke and Aishling.