Crescent College Comprehensive, Dooradoyle, Co. Limerick

The Best Years of Your Life

“The best years of your life!”, the grown ups cried as she gazed off vacantly with tears in her eyes;
Twelve years old, not a friend in sight. Her only company her dreams at night.

“You’re too young to be sad!”, the happy ones choked as she laid lifeless with a knife to her throat;
Nothing ahead of her, just turned thirteen. She woke as usual, this is daily routine.

“Don’t spoil the fun!”, the children jeered. She knocked it back supressing her tears.
Fourteen expected cake and balloons, not memories of her aunt locked up with the loons.

“Don’t be a tease!”, the wicked demanded, despite their fuss they’re never caught red-handed.
Fifteen, alone, battered and bruised. She doesn’t say a word, her head still confused.

“Come pay us a visit”, the shadows whispered; their faces angled, their voices bitter.
She reaches out a hand and fades from the light. Sixteen years old, not a friend in sight.

“You made it”, she exclaims, loud and clear. Slowly but surely the evil disappears.
Smile on her face, you can see her soul beam. All she needs is herself, she just turned seventeen.

Judge

People judge and talk about each other so much these day
Do they not have anything better to do?
Can they mind their own business?
No
They keep doing it because the most popular person does
That doesn’t mean you do it too
Stop following the leader
Be yourself
Not someone else

Tribes

They’re pious but no religion amongst these tribes
Just riot amongst those tribes
No champions for these tribes
Just baskets for my tribes
We are not the same so you take aim at my tribes
Shame on your tribe
One or no tribe

Remember

I remember the times we laughed together,
The times it was only me and you
I cant believe you are gone forever

As I look at you lying in the coffin
My heart is torn apart
I didn’t get to see you often
I wish you could make me you famous apple tart

But its gone, like your Heart

Me

For as long as I can remember, my biggest enemy has been time
Feeling like I’m in autopilot controlling a life that isn’t mine.
Having little to no aspirations like my brain is black and white
With my family and friends constantly reminding me that I’ll be fine
That I’m just being dramatic while they’re working their nine to five.
I don’t want to live like everyone else
I don’t want to settle for a life where everything is ‘good enough’
I want to know what I want to do even
If everyone insist that the life I want is too tough
Too tough to accomplish, too out of reach.
I don’t want a song and dance, I don’t want a speech
A speech about how you have to lower your expectations.
Because I want to feel free.
I want to be Me.

Sadness

Sadness, its a very cruel emotion.
If I could rid the world of sadness I would, I would in a heartbeat.
Sadness makes you feel so empty like there is no feeling in you,makes you feel numb inside.
Sadness can make you destroy yourself, make you feel destroyed not worth enough.
Sadness can make you collapse to the floor.
Make you feel like you need to scream but you don’t.
Make you feel like you need to cry a puddle with your tears
But you don’t and you don’t know why you won’t.
Your mind tells you one thing but your body refuses and you don’t know why.
Sadness is a hated thing.

You Should

You should tell your teacher
You should tell your dad
You should tell your mum
They should know you’re sad
You should know there’s hope
You should know there’s friends
You should know there’s light
At the tunnel’s end
You should have courage
You should have joy
You should have a message
For every girl and boy
We should tell our teachers
We should tell our dads
We should tell our mums
We will never be sad

Destiny

As life goes on in a flash of motion,
My notion is to keep on looking forward but not back,
But for me looking back to the past is essential
To see what big things lie ahead through that door labled destiny,
As intensity is coursing through my conscience
And deep down my fear is slowly eating me,
The best I can do, is not to fight nor scream
But to look back and accept and use these past events to
Comfort me until the day arrives and walk through that door of destiny.
The more I write this, the more I see that destiny is no door, it’s a journey,
Waiting to be finished, but I cannot myself diminish,
For if I do, I’ll never complete this journey known as life.

Childhood Home

You can still hear the noises of kids playing
Where you had the greatest memories but also the worst.
Where you found new people and lost some old
Where you got new experiences that will stayed with you forever
Where you found love but also hate
Where people you love may have passed
This is the place of your childhood
That you will remember forever

Summer

Through the cries, the smiles and the laughs
We stay together as strong as ever
Listening as the waves crash against the rocks
Walking on the beach watching the sun go down
Never wanting to leave this town
Summer begins and ends in a flash
Only wanting to make one more splash
While jumping into the big blue sea

These Walls

The good times and the bad,
The summer mornings starting at the beach,
With the sun blocked by the greyish clouds,
And the waves crashing against the shore,
The refreshing smell of the sea salt,
The cold breeze as you ran to the water for cover,
And the waves breaking over your head,
The seaweed getting tangled in your hair.

A Happier Day

These walls remember all of the happy times,
When we came back from the beach with a big smile,
Trailing sand after us and not a care in the world
And just played and laughed for a while,
Making homemade forts with blankets and chairs
Protecting us from protecting us from pretend monsters and grizzly bears,
Our imaginations running wild and free,
When fun never came with a cost or fee
Now there’s no time to stop and play,
So I sit and reminisce about the past,
A happier time, a happier day.

The Darkness

Every insecurity and imperfection
Every memory you’ve tried to forget
Anger and misconception
Everything but still forgets the good
Fear and lack of hope
Whispers my anxiety

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This one guy thinks he funny,
All he thinks about is money
Looking like he advertises nike
Or flexing his new bike
Then he goes home and cries
Eating a bag of fries
Watching the world around him collapse
Thinking that maybe perhaps
He should stop this outrage
And make a change

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Sometimes my life can be hard
Sometimes is can be easy
Sometimes I can feel sad
Other times I can be happy
But I guess what I’m trying to say is
Life is like a roller-coaster
It has its ups and downs but the point of life is
That if you get knocked down
You have to have the strength to get back up
And live the life you want never let people get you down

I Wish

I wish to be more humble, as humble as can be
And at least realize that the world isn’t centered around me
I know I am not perfect
I know I am not the best
And I know that I am not always correct
But what I do know
Is that my ambition and my dreams are unshakable
And my pursuit of learning more is unstoppable
And that my dreams can come true
If only I try

Everyday

Everyday is the same
It’s almost like a game
Is life just going to pass me by
Or am I going to try
Will my dreams stay dreams
Or will they become my beliefs
Only I can decide
But I hope I can say I tried

Fools

Fools we are
Only met this year
It really is bizzare

Like two peas in a pod
Occasionally fight
With unbreakable bond
Never far by each side

Tired

I am tired
I want to go home
John got fired
For eating shaving foam
Someone bust open his lip
So he lashed them across the face
With a 10ft whip

The Call Her

They call her slow in school when she does tests
But when she’s doing work in class she’s too smart
They call her slow at home when she talks
But she just can’t get words out
She’s told she’s not stupid but then she’s told she is
All these mixed signals in her brain all get crammed
But what she thinks changes every day
None of these thoughts ever stay
But she doesn’t feel sad about all this she thinks
If she did, she would she feel ok?

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Tik-tok goes the clock
They used to tell you follow your dreams
But now at 15 the never ending pressure just makes me want to scream
No wonder the education system is failing
When children constantly leave the classroom wailing
Because teachers tell them they’re not smart enough or they never work hard enough
That’s a myth that needs to be put to rest
Because getting an A doesn’t make you the best.
Now the time is running out
And I need to make my choice
But this never ended workload has me lose my voice.

Fluffy and Funny

Fluffy and funny, majestic and cool her name is Maggie and she acts like a fool.
Doesn’t speak English but understands treat.
Her best trick is that she can sit and eat.
She likes going for walks but doesn’t like cats
She thinks she is big but is as thin as a twig.
I love her to bits and if anything happened to her I would throw a fit.

Saturday Night

Saturday nights acting the fool
Monday morning the abuse in school
They shout it out for everyone to hear,
Walking through the corridors blocking my ear.
It could have been a nightmare,
No one really did care.
The gestures in my face
It was a complete disgrace
Friends pretending that they care
But laughing behind my head of hair
Bus Sesh regrets **mic drop**

Tesco

Land of Fanta
Land of water
Land if coke
Oh Tesco oh Tesco life’s hard when I’m broke
Land of crisps
Land of sweets
Land of food for me to eat
Oh Tesco oh Tesco where life is so so elite

All this Talk

There’s all this talk about school,
It’s really pressurizing and cruel,
And academically,
When you do bad you feel like property,
This education system is broke,
Everyone knows its so far from legit,
So please school system,
Don’t make us generation your next victim.

I Wake

I wake in the morning
Dreading the day ahead
Every day is like hell
I don’t even want to leave my bed.

As I walk in the door
Everyone stops and stares
I go quietly to the back
As the girls all give me glares.

Lunch time is the worst
There is nowhere to hide
Boys and girls all in big groups
Then they pull me to the side.

The names I got called
I still get nightmares about
Everyday I hope they’ll learn
When to close their big mouths.

On the Inside

Biggest pet peeve, someone thinking its okay
To do to you, but not for you
To do to them
Slagging and teasing
Just to be pleasing
I smile on the outside
While overthinking on the inside
When the tables are switched
I am now the snitch
Always in the wrong
Trying to stay strong

When

We aren’t understood we’re mainly not trusted
Treated like children who just cause trouble
When we’re expected to behave like we know what to do
When we’re stuck in the middle no clue what to do
Expected to figure it out but never left alone
All we wanna do is break out of this mould
Too young to do this to old to do that
When all we wanna do is lie back and relax

Bed

I love my bed
Happy out in bed, all cozy watching Netflix, next thing my door opens,
“Get up get out of bed you’ll get depressed if you are in bed all day”
Walks in opens the blinds, opens the windows, leaves the door wide open.
I get up close the windows and door get back into bed and press play on my movie.
Don’t worry I’m not depressed, I just love my bed like most teenagers.
Who’s parents think they’re hiding something, but they just feel comfy and safe in their bed.

Sometimes

Sometimes you have to say yes or no
Sometimes you say yes
Sometimes no
Sometimes it’s important
Other times not so much
So long as your happy its okay

Poetry Society

I’m not part of a poetry society,
Don’t come from a broken home or minority,
But we still have something in common.

Never kissed a girl but had my heart break,
I’ve taken hits and left awake,
From all the scars left from what you said.

You might have spent time,
While I worked on my farm,
Two different worlds but we are still alike

Dark thoughts and all alone,
Is what we have in common,
How we are all filled with demons.

That follow us where ever we go,
That try to stop our personality to grow,
Leaving us all alone.

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What have I done to deserve this?
Do dreams really come true?
What are dreams?
Is life real or is just a simulation?
Does life really get better after suffering like they say it does?
Is it true that I’ll be able to escape the endless loop
Of overthinking and be able to express it in words?
Is the world a game to be played?
These are questions I ask myself everyday.
Why do I think this way?
I don’t know. I guess it’s just me against the world.

Best Friends

Umm, primary school was ok but to this day I would find that secondary is worse,
The things you do in the second is more intense, hard, difficult, and also a bit boring.
Since I was a kid, I never realised struggled at anything bar one. Learning English.
I was so bad, it took me a whole year maybe even more to get learn the alphabet,
In secondary, I thought I could improve, get better,
But that just made it feel as if I could never best the tests.
Then, because of this I felt bad, very bad, near depression bad.
School never felt fun, not now especially. My grades dropped, family didn’t really care.
They only care about their super-star eldest daughter who is in college.
But, you know what, there was something that were there for me.
My friends.
They were there for me when I was bad, very bad. When I was at my worst.
They were there for me when I needed help.
When I asked for help the welcomed me with open arms.
They cared more about me that my folks ever did.
Whenever when you are struggling, ask for help, ask for your friends.
The good ones now, not the fakes, not the pretenders, not the impostors.
Just ask, they won’t take no for an answer if they were your true, loyal best friends.

Oh, Hi. Sweetie

That’s the greeting I always get.
As if I’m your pet.
Just because I’m sitting.
Doesn’t mean I’m tripping
Crouching down as low as the ground.
Just because I’m wheelchair bound.
You don’t have to be a sloth when you talk.
Just because I can’t walk.
Or move your kids to the opposite side of the side walk.

Funny word “Life”

So many different meanings
Depending on who’s asking
And what someone is feeling
Does it mean trying to fit in
By drinking, doing drugs
Not knowing where “life” begins
Or is it being responsible and prepared
Knowing where you’re going
Wondering if anyone cared
Or is it being broken
Not knowing, being hurt
So many dreams unspoken
Life is what you and your dream
Your future and how you choose to live it
And all you need do is be heard and scream.

Jeopardy

The smell of the puke still remains
And the empty cans still on the floor
I still remember the look on his face
As he was passed out by the door `

Disappointment on
My parents face
Still a vivid memory .
As me and my friend put
Our reputation
Into serious jeopardy.

Summer

The good times and the bad,
The summer mornings starting at the beach,
The sun blocked by greyish clouds,
And the waves crashing against the shore,
The refreshing smell of the sea salt,
The cold breeze as you ran to the water for cover,
Waves crashing their crown on your head.

A Happier Day

All of those happy times,
When we came back from the beach with a big smile,
Trailing sand after us and not a care in the world
And just played and laughed for a while,
Making homemade forts with blankets and chairs
Protecting us from pretend monsters and grizzly bears,
Our imaginations running wild and free,
When fun never came with a cost or fee
Now there’s no time to stop and play,
So I sit and reminisce about the past,
A happier time, a happier day.

My Demons

My demons hide
In the darkness of my mind,
With the voices and the thoughts.
Devils of my own design

My insecurities make the darkness shine
Although at times I may act fine
My thoughts send shivers down my spine
I just go on and on

Summer

Through the cries, the smiles and the laughs
We stay together as strong as ever
Listening as the waves crash against the rocks
Walking on the beach watching the sun go down
Never wanting to leave this town
Summer begins and ends in a flash
Only wanting to make one more splash
Abandoning our cares into the big blue sea

The Mirror

The giggles and laughter.
Being with friends
Getting ready for disco on a Friday night.
The sound of the can being cracked open.
Condensation dripping onto the window sill.
The mirror loving you.
Hating you.

Shot Down

You’re not allowed to say anything more
Any controversial statement is shot down
They say we have free speech but
Anything we say is examined by the media looking for a fault
Every decision is connected to your race or gender
If you have a conflicting view you can’t be friends
We are swayed by what other people think
Is free speech really free?

Australia

Been wanting to go back since the day I went
Sitting on the beach
Watching the sun fade into the horizon
Enjoying a sunset surf
No better place on earth
Sitting in class dreaming of when
I go on my long journey across the world
Knowing it will be years again til I see down under again,
My dreamworld

These Walls

When we dossed class out on yard
When we fell asleep in Irish class listening to the teacher droning on
Or when we first played rugby on a cold winters day
When we got dropped from the team filled with disappointment
Or when we failed that test and got in trouble
All the good and bad

Untitled

I don’t like school
But I wouldn’t mind riding a horse
Or a sturdy mule.
All of the teachers
Think they are super cool
But not gonna lie
There just all
No good
Fools.

School

I’m in class
My horse eats grass

My foots on the pedal

That’s how I won the medal

I like honey from a bee

With my tea

I hate school
Its cruel

I’m done this poem

As I’ve to go home

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This poem isn’t really cool
I mean it’s about school
The views are as old as fossils
You’d swear they think they’re apostles
Its a waste of trees
I’m not writing this with much ease
I’m really trying
But I can feel my brain frying
I’m only doing this to go to med school
Please don’t take me for a fool

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First year Irish disco,
Oh how they can be quite the fiasco.
Cocoa brown extra dark
The colour of bark.
Crop top from penneys,
So cheap you wont be spending any twenties.
Awkwardly bopping
Posing like you’ve hay fever,
Dancing to Justin Beiber.

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Screw being stressed,
Why do I need tests,
I always wonder why,
then I think its all a lie,
I don’t like to study,
I wanna hang with my buddy,
I don’t want to worry,
I just wanna spread some slurry.

2003

Born in Limerick,
Bread and buttered in Kerry,
The best place to be,
Weekends spent looking slick,
In a full Kerry trackie happy and merry,
Joyriding my uncle’s tractor,
Wearing sun factor,
For roasting days in BallyB,
Having the same birthday as Johnny Buckley,
Kerry for Sam 2020!!

What I Love

Haven’t a clue what to do,
Suppose better write bout things,
This is harder than a fishtail hairdo,
Which I can do as good as all kings,
Things like my passions,
Which include sports of all kinds,
But definitely not fashion,
I don’t own any Calvin Kleins,
People are surprised,
When I say I love rugby,
But they are all not as wise,
As Munster’s Conor Murray,
These days though Cooney is on his tail,
He better show up,
Or the bench will entail,
Him along with the Six Nations cup

Last Night

Last night I was at the pub
When I got home I hopped into the tub
I was in my house
Then I snuck out like a mouse
I saw a poodle
Then I ate some noodles
Ooooohhhhhhhhhhh