Ashton School, Ballintemple, Co. Cork

Why Can’t?

 

Why can’t people be more positive?

More pragmatic, more efficacious,

Inspired by excitement, wonder and glory

Why are some people succumbed to reigning despair,

Yielding negativity like an infection,

Directed in the wrong direction by external influence,

 

Why can’t school literature explore the greatness,

Delve into happier poems, stories and plays,

Who knows,

Perhaps the world might change.

 

Untitled

 

The cruel streetlights make us afraid of the dark.

We run on caffeine and pride ourselves on deprivation.

We welcome the dawn with bruised eyes then roll over

And stuff ourselves back into the insignificant roles we embody to ensure our survival.

Anxiety ridden and high off adrenaline. We don’t wish on the stars we can’t see, we don’t expect things to change. We stick to our plans. “You can be anything”, we have to be everything.

 

When

 

When the digital light shines too bright,

And the notifications come flooding in,

“10 new assignments”.

 

When the distance isolates you,

But the walls around you tighten

“50 further cases”.

 

When your emotions run too high,

And your motivation runs too low,

“Level 5 lockdown”.

 

When death swarms the globe,

One death seems so insignificant,

But not to me, only 10 people say,

“I’m sorry for your loss”

 

Night

 

Night knocked on my door last night,

A long long tI’me ago,

To tell me something I’mportant,

Something I ought to know.

 

That though the night is scary,

Its shapes odd and array,

Its the cruelty of the sunlight,

That chase my dreams away.

 

And in the night tI’me I remember,

What it told me long ago;

That though lights may be pretty,

It’s in the dark our true selves show.

 

Am I?

 

I have often wondered if what we say is I’mportant

I like to think I am independent

Free in my will

But am I just a cog in society

Churning out the same mistakes and injustices

We make claI’ms of change yet nothing does

We cannot dream of a future if we’re repeating history

That is just the past

 

Our Average Teenage Years

 

Covid-19 ruined our life,

Making people angry and strife.

A year later still in the same place,

Stuck and ruined wanting an embrace.

Year from hell or a blessing in disguise?

Watching the sky, looking from inside.

16, 17 typically the worst years of living,

Everyone in this day is so unforgiving.

One thing wrong, it’s your label forever,

Exposed, threatened, feeling the tremor.

Wanting to I’mpress, hoping to succeed,

No one knowing anything you want or need.

On top of all this our planet is dying,

Hundreds of years passed, now everyone is crying.

Gen z’s knowing it will only affect us,

Millennials, x’s and boomers knowing they don’t have to discuss.

Being told to just be positive,

When all we are just negatively evocative.

Hoping one day our world will change,

Praying it’s positive and not another rearrange.

 

This is Me

 

TI’me passing

Homework piling up

It seems to never end

Still, I keep being me.

I’magination firing

Spending tI’me learning about myself.

Myself, a person I don’t know yet.

Every day learning something new.

This is Me.

 

Pleas don’t

I ask not what you may give me,

For I ask nought before I take,

But I offer you a choice,

A decision you might make

 

I will give to you myself,

And you must offer you,

I will accept you gratefully,

If you would only want me too

 

I beg you please be gentle,

I am already cracked,

I have been beaten, bruised and broken,

Abused for what I lacked

 

You see, I have been through this

Before, and its never ended great

Love so often turns on me,

With eyes of glowing hate

 

So, I bring to you this choice,

For I will love you solely

But please don’t break my heart,

For you may break me wholly.

 

Can’t

Storms wrack my body

My edges are too cruel

And in the darkness of my being

Its the nightmares that rule

 

He was everything correct,

All perfect and good

Smart hair, white smile

He saw things I never could

 

I thought he’d light my tunnel

That he’d pull me from my thought

Instead I dragged him deep

And lost sight of what I sought

 

With him wrapped around my body

Inside dawn broke at last

But soon I again was lost

In the dark shadows of my past

 

His hair got messy

His head not still intact

Smile turned to bared teeth

Claws at the ready to attack

 

Now its not fair for me to destroy

What was once good and pure

Its not my place to take advantage

Of the few things right and sure

 

So I gave him up with no explaining

For fear he’d cut his hands

Trying to piece me back together

When I fear no one ever can

 

Stand Out

 

No one wants to be different

But everyone wants to stand out

Just enough, in the crowd

To get that new job offering,

This time round.

But if not, just keep your head down

Maybe in the next round..

But how long does it take for you to figure out

That the waiting and praying and staying

Are debilitating your expectation.

Of being a candidate.

And if you don’t want to stand out, that’s fine

Be another worker in this nation

Powering and providing for our generation.

I salute you.

Because there’s nothing more powerful you can do

Than saying. ‘I’m good just being another tool’

But if you wanna stand out,

Be that rose in the thorns, the diamond in the rough,

Be that soldier, marching to their own drum.

When they whisper you breathe

When they breathe you shout

When they shout you scream

When they scream you cry out

When they cry out you shriek

When they shriek you declare

That you aren’t gonna stop there.

 

“Don’t be like Them”

 

You can’t become like your sisters.

But same hair, same skin, same eyes,

Same blood, sometimes the same temper.

 

Its not good enough.

You have to do better, be better,

And always respect your elders.

You have to meet expectations of generations

And listen to declarations of frustrations,

That end with “Don’t be like them.” but

 

This constant threat looms around the room

In my head and when I sleep in my bed.

I try my best, but what if I slip-up instead?

If I show any similarity once in my life,

I will become them. At least, that’s what you said.

 

But I was never them. I am me. My own type of person

With the same hair, same skin, same eyes, same blood

And maybe the same temper.

 

But if I was, like my sisters, would you still love me the same?

 

Who Doesn’t Want to be Different

 

Why bother fitting in

 

It pressures you

 

It pressures me

 

Are we just sheep, following each other

 

What should you do, what should you not

 

Is this your plot, what you want to be?

 

Why can’t we just see the real meaning of everything

 

And be what we want to be

 

It’s Scary

 

It’s scary to share any of this

But really I don’t have any of it

None, nothing, no core

Nothing inside everything is sore

People point over there

I go an run over there

Authenticity doesn’t share any of me

I wish it did can anybody any see?

 

What Lies Within

 

I pull layer upon layer

Of clothing, blankets around me

Like a caterpillar in chrysalis,

Except nothing beautiful will come out,

Like a caterpillar in pupa,

I hide beneath the layers

So they don’t know the ugliness,

That lies within

 

The Vinyl Cracking

 

The vinyl cracking fills the room as the song comes to an end

The whoosh of the wind comes trough the curtains like new problems to mend

The bluest of skies blends perfectly with the deep ocean

And the bed sheets slightly move every tI’me the fan pans on them in motion

Footsteps are heard throughout the whole apartment as the shadow approaches the piano

A loud note plays with echo as a g chord follows

The room is filled with sound of chords that even I know

The music almost anI’mates the canvas framed on the wall casting shadows

My words are now marked in history

Anything I say next will grab your attention

Fill you with emotions from empathy to misery

Oh and, from the I’mage I painted you are hooked forever did I mention

This white apartment on a greek coastline could be fiction

But I’ve been there, mentally and emotionally

Its my place of peace to escape toxicity and addiction

Godspeed by frank ocean plays in my headphones

My neighbour has their light on at this tI’me of the night and its a little comforting

To know at least one more human on this planet is awake and is near me

 

Lonely

 

He sat in peace,

A lonely pale man,

In the dark,

 

She sat in peace,

a lonely bright woman,

in the light,

 

But little do they now,

Hundreds below them,

See them every day and night

 

Burnt Out

 

Grades, it’s all about grades

The “Smart Child” grew up

Now there’s a teenager

Who’s barely passing classes.

 

Report just came in

Parents’ disappointment

“You’ve done better”

I know.

 

No Home and Alone

 

When you come from a home that gives you busy up teeth,

it’s no surprise half the country’s on the streets.

When were left outside pennies in the cold and the rain,

and the only thing to shield you from the pain

Is a torn up blanket that was stole from a shop

While you scranning on your dinner, all second hand slop.

You start to realise there’s no reason to live

When you don’t even have a pot to piss in.

Everything starts to get dark and alone

When you aren’t the only one without a home.

 

Your Picture

 

Your picture hangs on my wall

As a daily reminder of your love

I placed you high, although you’re low

6 feet under

 

Archangel

 

A whole life of nothing but praise.

Leaves no room to change.

Unprepared to under preform

Not really special.

I cant be your archangel.

I cant meet your expectations.

SometI’mes I stay up to not feel controlled

An autonomy to be different,

Is it my fault to want more.

 

Production

 

I’m passionate about Production,

The rhythm, mixing, and satisfaction.

Of seeing that tune inside your head,

Become realised on screen and text.

One day I’d like to see

My music on the big screen.

That tune I thought up in my head

To make the Billboard Chart’s ‘top 10’

Or the lyrics I filled up in my diary.

Sung by the most famous singer in history.

But the trials and obstacles,

Blocking that pinnacle where I can say yes

I’ve completed my biggest feat yet.

Are a lot more real than that tune in my head.

 

Metamorphosis

 

Metamorphosis; the process of becoming something beautiful,

Something more,

An idea that society is obsessed with,

I however won’t emerge worthy,

I however won’t emerge,

Hide, hide, hide

That you are terrified

Hide

Hide

Hide

What is inside

 

We All Want

 

We all want to be rich,

We all want to be known,

We are all chasing the same things,

With nothing to do and all day to do it,

No wars to fight,

No real challenges to overcome,

Ya we got some problems but most others see them as small,

Like Tyler said; each one of us are like a middle child,

Overcome by problems which to others seem so mild.

 

I Am Lost

 

I am a log lost on the river of life.

A soldier with no purpose a tree with no leaves.

I’ve no idea which ways best,

North southeast west acronyms for confusion,

Loneliness rage doubt and sadness.

Life has a purpose for people who know what life is.

I’m not one of those, no not yet.

I’m a sheep that wants to run out the gate but is trapped by the farmer.

And the wolf that lurks outside.

I’m forced to conform to societies ideas.

I graze and graze never looking up wondering what could’ve been.

The farmer throws a bone to the wolf and once again

I’m just a number on a spreadsheet another number on a number scale.

 

I Come From

 

I come from the dumpster where the trash avoids,

I come from the depths of the black void.

Where the druggies play

And the homeless stay

Where the gangs don’t sell their guns

Because even they know it’s too dangerous.

Where the gardaI stop and put up barriers around us.

I come from the ghetto, the slum, were the drunk and hoodlum

Roam and drone on and on.

Where the bedridden destitute

Converse with the prostitute.

I come from the place even the government says

‘There’s no help for them’.

I come from this hell,

That people rumour and tell

Of the deaths and fights and fires and theives

But this hell

That I come from

Is the most close knit

Group of misfits

That you could ever witness.

 

Consequences for the Truth

 

Consequences for the truth is why we lie

I’d rather take the bait then leave my side

I’d rather no debates that’s why we die

I’d rather ride the wave then ride and die

I’d rather take the dates than go eye for an eye

Let me decide

 

Which glasses shall I pick in which ill see the world

 

She knows if she aint leave she wouldve had the world

 

And she knows that its way more than just diamonds and pearls

 

Between the hare and the tortoise the winner lies in my curls

 

I know the meaning of life is hidden inside of our morals

 

The voices up top go from searching rot to singing in choral

 

Our mindset is screwed

This generation needs to be tucked

Needs to realize that were still kids in a box

Stick to the crops

 

Growing Up

 

Growing up with social media has taught me a lot,

ED’s are glorified

Don’t eat, you’ll be skinny

Don’t worry about the side affects

Depression is glorified

It’s edgy and cool to be sad

Don’t think about the long nights, lying in your bedroom,

Wondering how long you have to feel like this

And most importantly, you aren’t special for feeling like this, everyone else does too.

 

Waking Up

 

Waking up

Minutes before class

Just to be set

More work

 

There are so many

Empty hours

Between classes

I could fill

 

And the schoolwork

Is so unappealing

I would rather

Do anything else

 

But I don’t

Do anything

Not even

The things

I like

 

Try so Hard

 

Try so hard, work for so little

Tryna chase a dream, its getting kinda brittle

No, I won’t quit, I know my end goal

Since I was born, the passion was in my soul

 

To get something out, you need to put something in

Keep my faith in God, no ill never sin

He has my back, guiding over me

Whether on the land or in the sea

 

It’s getting very tough, my body is aching

Doubts creeping in, my dream is slowly breaking

A few more pushes, this is my tI’me

Just wait for me, don’t worry I’m going to shine.

 

School

 

School can help those in to learn

Mathematics and science

But this also means in turn

They’re unconsciously taught politics

 

History and Social Science

Aims to supress kids defiance

Teaching them that what’s the norm

Is very cosy, very warm.

 

In reality, this is not such;

Kids unable to eat lunch

In poorer countries; Bolivia.

Meanwhile the youth’s taught trivia.

 

Colombus, Ghandi; national heroes.

But they have committed multiple no-nos;

Columbus pillaged, raped, enslaved.

For Ghandi’s niece, he sure raved.

 

Nothing changes anymore.

Children are not free.

The schools abuse all their mentors

30 thousand salary.

 

Overall, education is quite a fickle thing.

It can change what people know and what people think.

People cannot think no more; no Martin Luther King.

To the anthem we must lip-sync.

 

Man

 

Oh, to be a man

So godlike in your conviction

yet man is no more like god, than I to man

A God is free.

Man, is not

But what is a prison without a guard?

What is a man without his God?

What is a god without his men?

Men are free.

I, am not

So weak

Too feeble

Yet I have the same mind as a man

And yet a man has the same mind as God

Maybe God and man are one and the same?

Maybe men and I are one and the same?

Or maybe I am a fool.

Why can’t man be a God?

What can’t I be a man?

Is it because our mind is our prison,

We, our own guard?

Is it because God is perfect, and man are not?

Is it because men are absolute,

And I am not?

Maybe I’m not a man.

Maybe I’m a god?

Or perhaps that’s foolish

Maybe I’m just a girl, full of “silly notions”

Or maybe

We are all one and the same.

 

Pain my Old Brother

 

Once again we encounter each other on this endless path

Of respect for childish and heedless strength, no I have seen no other

With a fist as fair as yours but be assured it won’t end in a bloodbath

As we stride across this mist path we cannot see ahead

We must stride as if everyone around us wasn’t truer than we believed

He who looks down amongst us striding, he mourns for our threads

Our connections our observations, as he looks down he is peeved

But he too believes in a greater power, and looks at us with disgust

Bet we keep on this path that is whatever we make it, as for me

I must keep striding as around the corner is the month of august

And there could be horrors or wonders to see

 

At the Moment

 

I am lonely at the moment

But at the moment I know I’m not alone

Through this pandemic there is only hope

And hope is the only thing I need

Me and my friends going out

And my friend making a point

That soon this will all be over

And at last we will go on our last sleepover

 

No One

 

The wind howls,

The water rages,

The fire roars,

The earth screams,

 

But no one hears them

 

I Don’t Know

 

How can I write if I can’t even speak

I can’t even dream about strength if I feel I am weak

I don’t know myself I don’t know who I am

I don’t know who I’ll be or where I will stand

I don’t know what life is or what it’s about

But I’ve got lots of it left and I’d like to find out

 

This Moment

 

Day after day

Sitting at this desk

The Sun Shines on my Face

The Birds sing their song

 

I wish to be free

To be like the crows

Doing as they please

No Rules. No Screens

 

Covid-19

 

Covid-19 not going away but the teachers stressing

Why we weren’t in class today

How can we be happy as a person

When theirs assignments, projects, homework so much to do

I just want to scream

Always stressing about assignments

When the world is falling apart

I don’t know what to do

I feel sad, angry ,annoyed like my life’s being taken away

I just want it all to be over to take the pain away

 

TI’me

 

TI’me is all we have

But it’s now just fading away

Each day wasted

Not knowing the world

Not knowing its full beauty

Trapped, waiting to get out

 

Untitled

 

A man drives a car.

A rush, a stench of burning clutch.

he’s had a fifth, his head is full of shit.

he drives too fast, running from something in his past.

He feels a rush,he finds a good channel, and he blares it.

Doesn’t see the running dog until it’s been hit.

Hands on the wheel. He freezes. The dog lies on the road.

Dying and cold. A life he stole.

Burning rubber, a screech as he flees.

Runs away from what he sees. A child staring at their dog.

He cries while in the middle of the road, the dog dies.

 

Untitled

 

Crazy

Nah

Waiting to be told I can get the drugs to be normal

Maybe the world needs to fix itself for me

Amphetamine’s bad

Until you shove them down a poor child’s throat to make them fit in

I hate idea

“Don’t hate the player, hate the game”

I hate it all

So why do I crave it

I crave normalcy despite how much I detest it

I’m empty

Full of the wrong stuff

I’m loud

I’m quiet

A girl

A boy?

A man?

A truckload of shhhhhh

My hands shake as I type

I hate poetry

And yet

I crave the validation of submitting them

Here I am, hitting the button, shaking hands and yet I’m not fulfilled

Life just be like that huh?

 

Lighter

 

The water is hot

And yet

Not hot enough.

The fire is burning

Hotter

And hotter

Molotov cocktail’s served in highrise bars

Shaken not stirred

Neon signs light the sky

Like the stars they outshine

Glowing balls of gas and rage and stuff I’m not smart enough to know

Too lazy to care

And they wonder why I light to burn stuff to feel alive?

I can’t even speak my true mind here cause of schools and regulations and its bullsh

I want to rock the boat, stir up trouble

Shaken not stirred

Shaken up by the guns the drugs the violence

Not shaken enough

I pray

And yet I’m still here

Still me

Do I want to be?

Am I someone else?

Or am I too angry to feel

Am I Dead or Alive

Bon Jovi?

Screw it

My brains too loud

Caffeine and sugar

PG 13 drugs

I can’t sleep but it’s fine as long as I keep up appearances right…?

Fire is a comfort

An equalizer

 

In a World

 

We now live in a world

Where all we have to look forward to

Is when are we able to go past 6km

From our homes

This is a world that I don’t recognise

This world isn’t normal

But This world will improve

And we will be able to see each other again

Soon

 

Untitled

 

Covid pandemic will the vaccine even end it

Teams meeting dreaded

This life is repetitive

 

5k so grey

We can’t get away

Stuck in my house not straying 5k

 

Covid

 

Covid covid

Closet closet

Closed closed

Claustro claustro,

Concealed concealed

Congested congested

Covered covered

Ended

 

Fortnite

 

Fortnite is my favourite

I crank on Fortnite all day long

I am also very strong

I do a little dance when I win

I then I go outside and rummage through the bin

I am so good at Fortnite

I am gonna play again tonight

 

Reality

 

With everything that’s going on in the world

Everything’s not the same,

Not that I’m saying it’s the end of the world

But this is reality.

 

School

 

I really like my school

I think its pretty cool

I don’t like when lads take the mick

They’re not cool like pickle rick

My favourite is history

Cause learning is victory (Royale)