Create You
My life feels like lies, the standards for us are set high
Defining what’s considered “normal” or “weird” in this twisted society.
The burden of the J.C. is completely crazy,
But when you’re done its feels like you’re set free, unhinged, untethered,
Like a floating feather drifting along the sky,
While the days of your life fly by until you land somewhere,
But that’s not what you chose, that place might not be where you want to be,
You were never in control of the position of your life.
Your entire life was moulded and created,
Not from the creation of your own imagination
And thoughts of your own beautiful and unique mind,
But the mere puppeteers creating your limits,
Telling you what you can and cannot achieve,
Telling you the purpose for your soul.
All the while there’s that faint voice in your mind screaming:
YES YOU CAN!
So break free, take a stand, chase your dreams, see the world,
Find your purpose, find your fire, find your goal, and find your freedom.
Take control.
All you have to do is pick up the pieces and create the bigger picture.
Create You.
Anon
A Battle
What is my problem?
How can I solve it?
My head is spinning
And is a battle I’m not winning
Inside I’m breaking down
But I manage to hide my frown
When I lie in my bed
The thoughts are swirling in my head
The walls are caving in
My head begins to spin
But it’s a battle I need to win
Anon
New School
Like a fish out of water
Trying to open my lock
But was it easier
In the water?
Struggling to find class
Pain in my stomach like glass
Without a friend
Yet trying to blend
Anon
School
An institution for educating children.
So why do I know more about Mary’s bitching problem
Than I do about college applications?
Why are we told more about our flaws
Than how to write a cheque?
Why am I more concerned walking to school about whether my hair is straight enough
Than I am about whether I finished my homework?
Why am I more concerned about the judgement
Of this poem from those around me,
Than I am the poem itself?
Aisling Reale
45 Years of Hope
This was our war, this was our time,
To send old men to tears and give young the pride,
The pride of their boots turning from silver to gold,
As The flags of hope, of green and white,
Flew above the treaty stone.
And the Shannon’s banks overflowed,
When Declan Hannon returned home,
And raised Liam far and high.
Our war was over, this is our time…
Aoife Moloney
That’s Me
I may be smart,
But that doesn’t mean I can understand every word, sum or bar chart.
They call me a swat,
Just because I work and give it all that I’ve got.
Well maybe I want to drink and have fun,
Maybe I don’t want to give a toss about the work that I’ve done.
But that’s my personality,
That’s me.
Jonah Colgan
Plastic Killer
Why do animals suffer?
For the human races rubber and clutter
Animals die everyday
Because of industries murderous ways
It’s wicked they have to die in this way
Their poor little faces looking up at the sun’s rays
As they remember wild and the good old days
As their last breath is being
Taken by our human selfish stupid ways
Zara
They Ask me Why I Stay
He told me a white lie
But he’s still a nice guy.
He touched me on my thigh
But he’s still a nice guy.
He gave me a bruised eye
But he’s still a nice guy.
Last night he made me cry
But he’s still a nice guy.
In bed alone is where I lie
He makes me want to die.
I think to myself I should’ve said goodbye
But he really is such a nice guy.
Anon
Fear
You cannot see it,
It comes from within,
Every bone in your body,
Trembles under your skin.
It can be big,
It can be small,
Like the snap of a twig,
Or a shrieking call.
Your mind will ache,
Your voice could shake,
You may even shed a tear,
But all that’s really left is fear.
Ellen Henry and Caoimhe Griffin
What to Be
Deciding what your future will be
Is really quite cruel
You have to decide what you want to become
Before leaving school
At the age of eighteen
We decide on Arts, Business or Law
We must choose our destiny
We decide what to pick like a lotto or a draw
Anon
Romantic Kiss
Each lonely night, I sit on a bench to myself,
Between two large trees in the park under the rain,
I thought we have whistled him down to that,
I whistled to myself in repeat.
One impulse from a right wood,
May teach you more of a man,
Of the moral evil and it’s good,
Than all the wise can.
Give me one more kiss,
And no more,
If so be this,
Will make you poor.
Yes come to me my fancy Prince Charming,
His throbbing temples with a softly kiss,
And bend my lonely bench above,
And bring me rest and bliss.
Holly Guntrip
Standards
The standards are set so high
I often wonder why we try,
To fit into the crowd.
We are taught to be quiet,
But never loud.
Opinions are shared
But these sheep have never cared
Unless of course,
That’s what society believes is
“Normal”
Anon
Simple Orders
Simple orders do this do that
You must become an acrobat
And act like an aristocrat
Go there do this
Be sure not to miss
Or else we might as well throw you to the abyss
1,2,3,4
March like something in the corps
Don’t be something we abhor
5,6,7,8
Oh what’s this? You’re out of line
We’ll you’ve wasted enough of our time
You’re no longer needed in our collective
You’re a defective
I guess that means you’re no longer an ally
Cian Hanrahan
Change
It is falling down…
The roof,
The ceiling,
The education system.
It is falling apart…
The walls,
The chairs,
The people.
Why should we come to school?
When it makes our lives messed up,
When we could learn from living,
Travel the world.
Why should we come to school?
When I don’t even get to sit inside it,
When I’m only here because of this poem I’ve to submit.
Moving to prefabs,
Getting builders in,
Doing up the school,
Just when we are back.
So, why now?
When students can’t focus on their work,
When it all just goes to waste.
Just because the school is falling down.
Emma Hynes
Oblivious
They look on and smirk
Oblivious to their work
Too focused on how they look
Oblivious to who they are
Or who they hurt
Treating them like dirt
Anon
Winter
Looking through the window at the blistering cold
Tempted to go out and discover the untold
The grounds covered in snow that is fluffy and light
And I step out the door to see a wonderful sight
Robins and deers and squirrels and owls
Majestically stepping and prancing around
I sit there for hours and watch how they move
How they fly and they coo and they kicks all their hooves
The snow fades away and the animals flee
But I’ll never forget the magic that winter brings to me
Grace Fahy
Peace
Looking down at the deep blue sea
Something about it looks cold to me
I take a step
Plop I’m in
Feeling great on my skin
Completely immersed,
Here there are no sins
No longer can I feel the cold
I am floating in my own world
There are no waves to drag me away
All that’s left is peace and happy days
Ellen Henry and Caoimhe Griffin
In Black
Why don’t we wear the black on our back?
Is it because the black scares us,
The black of dark thoughts and dark dreams, the black of all pain suffered.
We don’t wear it as it the rainbow in the distance is more of what we are.
The darkness is worn by some, and they carry the solders of the heavy thoughts of many.
And the many dark memories I have of long sick days.
That is why I wear the black.
L.C. King
Sinking Down
Sinking down
Catching my breath between waves
They push me deeper and deeper
The coldness making my heart race
The loneliness dragging me down
Until the sun rays appear through the curtain
And the struggle quickly fades as I open my eyes
Rachel and Sarah
Friendships
As years go by
I’m questioning why
Endless friendships die
As days go by
WASTING my time
Trying to regain something
That’s already gone.
Dylan Scanlan
Untitled
They tell us what to wear
How to think
Not to swear
They tell us how to feel
What to do
How to deal
They tell us when to speak
Who we are
Don’t be weak
Anon
My Head High
Walk through the halls every single day
Wondering what the whisperers say
All the girls who make me want to hurl
I just give them an evil stare and twirl
Everybody likes me cause I’m not a grass
When the time comes I think I’ll pass
The people who lie will never get by
So that’s why I keep my head high
Aimee Evans
School
When I walk into school
I know it’s all cruel
To sit at a table
And still not able
After last night’s label.
The names do not claim
Who we are as a name
Cause I know in my veins
I’m not what they say
Anon
Another Book on the Shelf
I like to play sport while you like to sit and read
We just have different hobbies, we’re not a different breed.
She wears Gucci, he wears Tesco’s finest
It’s only a bit of contrast
So why is he harassed?
Extroversion, introversion.
Things vary in every person
Have respect
Think about the effect
Of that comment you made
Don’t need to make them afraid
To be their true self
Not just another book on the shelf
Roslyn Shaw-Kelly
Living in Fear
Living in fear
What’s going on here
Try to escape all the eyes and ears
Trying to stay strong
That doesn’t last too long
Nobody to blame
Except the complaints
That never fade away
Orla and Abby
Untitled
But how do I explain to the generation above
That our society has painted a different picture of love
That it’s ok for boys to look rough and to act tough to impress a girl who feels
She isn’t enough because you see,
Body image is actually big for teens
Their self-esteem will never be redeemed because of the fake magazines
And that the girl of your dreams will be a woman with no faults to be seen
And as for boys who treat us like toys
And the “me too” campaign has let us make noise
About the problems we face day to day
And the problems that we truly need to say not keep it in
Or nobody will win from sluts to virgins nobody in our society can win
Anon
Stressed Out
Stressed out because I have to go somewhere I don’t really want to be,
Day after day, week after week,
And the pressure is building up, it’s exhausting me,
Because I have to get out of my comfort zone and be someone that I’m not really.
School.
Victoria Daniel
Virtual World
When did we decide
That the number of likes we get
Should determine our pride
I have friends
But they’re virtual
Numbers on a screen
Somehow make them see real
Everywhere I go
I can’t get away
From the vibrations in my pockets
When all I want to do is block it
I hate my phone,
But can’t live without it
But if I threw it away
I think I’d feel alone
Lucy Allen
Untitled
Am I good enough?
My mind is so rough,
I look at my reflection,
I want to look another direction,
I still can’t see perfection,
I have a fear of rejection,
I still can’t get a connection.
Leah O’Keeffe
Stay True
They pet a dog, they kill a pig
They think you’re small, they say they’re big
You know you’re right, you know you’re true
But with people like that there’s nothing new
These days everyone’s the same
But if you’re different you’re treated insane
With people alike, they put themselves on a high shelf
But if you know who you are, just stay true to yourself
Kyra Mahoney
Secondary School
So now you’re in Secondary School,
You thought it would be cool,
But really it can be quite cruel,
Abiding by all the rules,
Providing you the tools,
To turn you into fools,
Learning about molecules,
Like a herd of brainless mules.
Araiz Ahmad
Cool
Going through some bull I get it
Wanna act cool do something and regret it
But really you know deep down you’re pathetic
But on your own with the tears and you shed em
You’re on your own with people you don’t trust
Getting mad about your problems and then you cuss
Doing some random crap you know aint you
But you need to be cool so you don’t make a fuss
Mathew Chaila
Day by Day
Each day goes on not knowing what’s next
Feeling like you’re constantly hexed
Going through school to get your first cheque
But everything seems so complex
Not knowing if your education is having any affect
While always feeling perplexed
Paul Lynch
Who you Know
Favouritism is like racism
Choosing a background over talent
Segregation between talent and money
The people deciding if you’re good enough
Are the same people working off your failure
But if you’re not from the county of success
You not worthy of the reward
Coaches choosing the players because they are doing parents a favour
Rather than choosing players who have ambitions and talent
Hockey is not talent you don’t need to be good to be picked
You need to know the people higher up
Sure after all sport isn’t about talent or enjoyment anymore
It’s not what you know it’s who you know
Ashling Edwards
Nana
Her body was always sick but never her heart
Like a warm roaring fire her love never grew weary
She would never get better but never get worse
But like a speeding train she was gone
How could I cope when half my heart is no longer
She was always so strong but in the casket seemed so weak
All my heroes were being broken with the loss of one person
I don’t believe in the man above so to me she gone
That love is never lost just rehomed in my memories
Goodbye Nana
Ciaran Kenny
Constant Practice
You see it before you hear it
The sounds of the fibreglass tip
Hitting the floor with strength
Making everyone drop their lip
The days and nights of constant practice
Starting from an early age
All of that is just for a mere
3 minutes on the stage
Erika Long
Hobbies
When asked about my hobbies
People tend to get snobby
When i tell them it’s dungeons and dragons
They think I’d say Volkswagens
But that’s not what i’m like
I prefer it surreal
Rather than real
Because life can make me reel in pain.
Joey
Hockey
The sandy pitch is grazing our knees,
Wearing down our sticks and astro shoes
Just as hockey begins
Training everyday sometimes two
Preparing us for hockey
Training through injures
Committing to the team
For the sake of hockey
And winning the cups
Cause after this season we’ll be tired pups
Saoirse Hanrahan
School
Some days it’s good
Some days it bad
I never really understood
How people used to cram
All their homework into so little time
To me that just seems like a crime
Antoinette Kiely
Hockey Season
Hockey season has arrived!
The sticks are out
The shoes are sandy
And winning in training is always handy
Those late night sessions catching our breath
And the early mornings I’m tired to death
Aches and pains after matches
Not to mention our cuts and scratches
When the season is over and we’re all hanging on by a thread
I go home and look forward to the season ahead.
Roisin O’Leary
School
A whole week of school
Can really make you feel like a fool
Whether you’re a sportsperson or a swat
You give it all you got
Whether you’re feeling betrayed
Or if you are afraid
Remember to be you
And that’s all you can do
Luke Moloney
Times Change
In my first year of secondary school I found that making friends
And being one of the really popular people in limerick was the only thing that mattered
In my second year I thought the same thing
And then at the start of my third year I thought it was about doing well in the Junior Cert
And it’s all about getting the attention of women
Whether it was good attention our not
And at the end of my third year everything changed
It changed in so many ways, I become friendlier with the people around me
And not the people who care only about being the best
Because we are all different in our own great ways
Sean
Untitled
My stomach is turning,
I look out at the stage,
3, 2, 1 I’m next.
My legs feel weak,
Not able to speak,
I step onto the stage,
Feeling like I’m in a cage,
But when I look into the lights,
The feeling of delight,
My hard work about to take flight.
Anon
More than a Game
For some it’s a game for others its life
There’s thousands of us staying up till night
We sit a stare and hope it’s not a nightmare,
But wish for a dream of all the waiting, passion, and love we put into it all,
We sit and hope for our team not to fall,
We may scream and shout you may think that’s weird,
But that’s what we’re all about
And a lot of us cry (I know I have)
But that doesn’t mean we are weird or babies
It means we have passion, love and affection for the things we love.
That might be weird to you but for us
“THIS MEANS MORE”
Adam Ryan
Untitled
I have a smile on my face
Just like everyone in this place
Even though it could break if I don’t escape this space
I know I’ll be okay, just need to get through each day
My mind starts to stray, I want it to go away
Anon
School
School is cool
They say you’ll have fun
But I think school is a cesspool
Of cruel masses
Every morning I enter the whirlpool
Of public school
As I saunter to my classes
Liam
A Mother Teaching and Loving
You are the sunlight in my day.
You are the moon I see far away.
You are the tree I lean upon.
You are the one that makes troubles be gone.
You are always there for me
You’re the only one that will be
You’re the reason I wake up and see
You help me with my work
You teach me everything I need to know
You help me with my sums
But most of all you’re my lovely mum
Leah Nolan
School
My day starts off the same everyday
I struggle to get up but i must do it anyway.
My alarm goes beep while I’m asleep.
Beep beep beep. I’m lying there in a heap.
I go down to the shower and stay there for an hour.
I put on my clothes and wipe my nose.
I eat my food. I’m still in a bad mood.
I have to go to school, and look like a fool.
School is a pain, it wreaks my brain.
Trying to stay awake, while getting a headache.
The teachers shout and roar, while slamming on the door.
When you don’t give attention they give you a detention.
All you want to do is cry, leave and say, bye bye.
They want to teach you Irish, which to you is a virus.
You don’t care what’s going on, all you want to be is to be gone.
Doing something you love, like going out and giving someone a shove.
Now to conclude, I think school is a waste,
As a matter of fact it should be erased.
You should be allowed do things that you want to do,
Not living your life like you’re trapped in a zoo.
Now thank you for listening to what I have to say.
Now go away and have a nice day.
Michael Murphy
Untitled
School is boring,
With too many books for storing.
There’s schoolwork and homework,
Neither of which I want to do.
But I’m encouraged and pushed,
And tested by my knowledge
And afterwards I’m expected to head straight into college.
The choices are limited and the future unclear
I’m patiently waiting for the end of the school year.
Anon
A Boy I Love
Last day of summer
Out with the lads
Drinking and smoking
I look around me
Surrounded by friends
Everything’s blurry
Something catches my eye
A boy I’ve never seen before
In my drunken state
I waddle over
Start a messy conversation
I can’t remember how it went
Probably not well
But now he’s a boy I love
Aimee Coleman
Nicole is so Groovy
Sitting on a chair
Twirling my hair
I don’t have a care
Drinking a smoothie
Watching a movie
Being oh so groovy
Niamh Herbert
Untitled
I have nothing to say
Nothing new every single day
Sitting here wasting my time
Trying to make this crap rhyme
I couldn’t care less
About this huge mess
Just waiting to get home
Where I’m free to roam
Not locked in here
Learning about William Shakespeare
Ali
What I Like
I like to watch television and Netflix
They are good fun and playing video games
Relaxing and sleeping and going shopping
All good fun
And the beach and jumping over the waves
Diving into the waves
Going shopping into town or hanging with friends.
Also like eating ice cream during the summer time
I like to relax once in a while
Robyn Gallagher
These Days
These days are not the same,
No faces to be seen,
Screaming and shouting if you
Walk in hood.
Fear,
Do not be alone.
Fear, unless you are one
Of these thugs.
But don’t forget at the end of the day,
You hustle to stay alive.
Elvis
Fortnite
Fortnite
All night
With the boys
Might have to stop
Cause I’m making too much noise
Double pump you
If you come to close
Pop a chug jug
Then drive away in my sick truck
With my Rolex on my wrist
And v bucks on my mind
It’s the real Fortnite grind
Seán Cusack
Waiting for a Package
You spend all day waiting
It starts to get frustrating
You wonder what to do
Maybe try some Kung-Fu
You look at your email to see if there’s anything wrong
It can’t be, you’ve been here all along
You get a message that says you weren’t there
Waiting for a package is a nightmare
Conor Londra
Family
My family is full of opposites,
Grandfather and uncle are teetotal,
One uncle is on the dole,
Father is a Guard says if I don’t do well in school I’ll be profitless.
One uncle showing up to Christmas dinner drunk,
Another could have been one of the greatest golfers
But gambled until he only had a few dollars
Both now deliver the goods that are in their trunk.
Anon
Hair Done
Hair done in a bun
Frizzy hair why should we care
Pale face not the orange race
Going out with a no makeup pout
Den we get tickets for Post Malone
Aoife Hogan, Roisin Dennehy and Ellie Bardini