Creating Waves
We were seen as non-existent,
Silent, irrelevant, indifferent,
Were masked by the voices of those who “knew more,” “cared more,” “worked more.”
But with a breath of awakening, of urgency, a refusal to be silenced any longer,
We drew back and we grew.
We grew tall, taller than your empty promises and your walls of denial.
We grew strong, stronger than the gases you smothered us with,
Than the ignorance you devoted yourselves to for too long.
Far too long.
We have watched as you poisoned our oceans,
Killed our jungles and polluted our lungs for too long.
Far too long.
And though we are youthful we thunder towards the future,
And we will not be silenced any longer.
For like the oceans we have drawn back and rose up,
Creating waves.
Caoilfhionn Sheerin
Saying Goodbye
I see her face everywhere
I picture her beautiful blonde hair
I wish I could’ve taken away her pain
And told her that everything would be okay
I replay that day over and over in my head
And think about every mean thing I said
She was so beautiful, so talented and an amazing dancer
Suicide should be talked about because it is a cancer
I wish I did not have to say goodbye
When I think about her, I break down and cry
I’m proud to say that she was ever my friend
And now all her pain and struggle has come to an end
I hope she’s in a safe and happy place
And one day I hope to see her smiling face
Erin Brock
Walls
The pain that was felt,
The tears that had fallen the day that you left.
Trapped, the children’s cries,
In the cold damn walls where sorrow lies.
I remember the rainy, wet day,
When for our fortune and riches we must overdue pay.
The echoes of our laughter and joy,
On Christmas morn, when Jack gets a new toy.
I cherish all the love and memories we shared,
The laughs, the cries all the feelings felt when you cared.
Kellie
Where
This is where you watch me fall,
Wondering if you were worth it at all.
This is where you watch me cry,
Whispering the lie, it will be alright.
Everything is fine, you will be okay
You told me, yet you caused the pain.
My eyes are burning, my lungs are on fire
All because I trusted the liar.
I now can see past the lies you told me
That I once completely and utterly believed.
This is where I see the truth
Luisa Woods
Perfection
Perfection
They tell me I am perfect
But they don’t have a clue
I know I should be flattered
But it just isn’t true
The smile on my face
Is just a disguise
Over the thoughts in my head
And the tears in my eyes
They say that everything always goes my way
But they don’t understand how overthinking can ruin my day
If I say how I feel it, sounds stupid as can be and it seems like I just want sympathy
Just because I can hide it doesn’t mean it’s not there
I wish could explain it and then I could share
Perfection they believe is the definition of me
Perfection they think but if only they could see
Anon
They Whisper
They whisper cool reminders and soft advice.
They whisper carefully staged compliments and cautions against blinding white
They whisper the longer they hold the harder it will be
They whisper that they are soft, kind and forgiving and you don’t need to see
They whisper that letting go is easy with strictly arranged numbness
They whisper that falling apart will make you feel no less
They whisper what you want to hear
They whisper that its fine, my dear
Kate O’Reilly
Untitled
My generation is full of innovation,
We are connected by our past
But what is yet to come brings us closer.
We have empathy like no other generation,
But that’s what makes us stronger.
Our world that we grew up in is falling apart
Memories and nostalgia lost because of the generation before us.
But it is now our job to clean up years of mess
Together, we can give our story a happy ending
And give our future kids memories like ours.
Anon
My Generation
My generation is confused
And messed up.
It is all about being the best,
It is all about school all day everyday,
My generation is about the future not the present.
These days it is not about being yourself but being like everyone else.
It is always about putting people down, rather than picking them back up.
It is about trying to fit in.
We are too caught up in ourselves to know what’s going on around us.
My generation is growing up too fast.
Jamieleigh Geraghty
My Generation
My generation is a generation that
Deals with pressure of exams
Going to college
To get a good job
To earn money
To pay for things
To raise a family
To live with no worries
My generation is though
Katie Lenehan
This Generation
My generation is one of pretending to be okay in a world that seems to be falling down.
My generation is one of second guessing self-worth
And having no confidence because of the “perfect” people we see on social media.
My generation is one of judgement because of someone’s image or interests.
My generation is full of labels where everyone is labelled for their interests or experiences.
My generation is a quiet one. Many people battle silently with own their thoughts daily.
But my generation is also one of hope that one day everything will be okay
And everyone will be happy.
My generation is a listening ear for the people
That have the courage to talk about their problems and battles.
My generation is supportive of others that are in need.
My generation is one of understanding and care for other people’s troubles.
My generation is one of darkness but also one of light.
My generation understands that rainbows cannot be formed without a little rain.
Anon
My Generation
My generation is a confusing place.
People care more about social media and appearance than what’s going on around them.
My generation is a dark place.
People suffer with their mental health and come across so happy in their photos,
But could be suffering inside.
We only know what people want us to know and we only see what people want you to see.
My generation is constantly evolving with new technology.
New phones are being brought out every year
And you can make a photo look like it’s not even you.
My generation is becoming a more accepting place,
Where being gay is celebrated and the colour of your skin doesn’t define who you are.
Anon
They Remember
They remember the times we share,
The times we had the grin and bare.
They remember the laughs and smiles,
They broke hearts and shattered tiles.
They remember Christmas cheer,
Joking dancing and drinking beer.
They remember the fun once had,
When times were good and times were bad.
They remember the jokes we said,
The times we just had to stay in bed.
They remember the life we spent,
All that happened and all it meant.
Anon
My Generation is
My generation is a place that people care more about social media
Than what’s actually going on around them.
Many people have mental health problems and only show the happy side
Although when they are feeling down and struggling to open up about it.
I think that phones are becoming a big problem
Because people don’t know how to interact with each other
Because they’re spending too much time in the digital world rather than the real world.
Anon
Who am I
I am a student, expected to get good grades and do well in college,
I am a TY who doesn’t quite yet know what she wants to do with the rest of her life,
I am part of a team, a unit, a sports group
That I don’t think I’m good enough to be part of, so I ask…
Who am I
I am a teenager who is way too animated
When she talks but doesn’t care because that is part of who she is.
I am a daughter who is good at making tea,
I am a sister who is fun to be around and gets good Christmas presents,
I am a friend who listens and gives good advice,
I am a singer who appeared for the first time on stage and loved every second of it.
That is who she is
That is who I am
Anon
I Wish
I wish I could just start all over again
Forget I met you
Forget all the memories
I might be sad for a while
But I’d definitely get over it.
Lucy May Roberts
What are You?
Putrid petty pansy, fickle as a 3 year old at a restaurant
People mess you up like their maths test they haven’t studied for
Did you really think that those you put your time into,
Those you put your trust into,
Those you spend so much effort into,
Into what?
Treating you the way you treated them?
Into repetitive episodes of regret and remorse
Why did you believe these people were right for you?
Why did you believe that despite your trudging through your woeful wars
That this would be worth it?
Why did you believe that this would be different?
What are you?
A malfunctioning mess who can’t identify an imposter from a benevolent being?
If you encountered yourself in the eyes of another, you’d view yourself as an enigma
The enigma who seemed to swing both ways
Acceptable, yet to others your just a
Greedy gluttonous goblin
Despite the trash heap of insults you still survive
You get up and get down and get up again
People depend on you for your blessings
But to be the face of power and peace
You need to accept the power and peace in yourself
Anon
I Remember
I remember his speech,
His feet and his coat.
I remember him walking the streets,
From young until growth into old
In health and in sickness,
From excitement to laziness.
I remember him fearless,
Him chasing with all his craziness.
I remember his last days,
That was my dog, I miss his ways.
Anon
Left
I left you (but not forever)
You’ve held everything I’ve lost
And I’ve mourned everything you’ve gained
I win
You’ve become small
You no longer crush my back
Instead I hold you in my hands
Accepting you is my small victory
You’ve left me (but not forever)
Laura
Untitled
Where the ocean dreams
With waves of tears
With peoples dreams
It swallows it up whole
Its takes our dreams with no fear
And gives us the backwash of hatefulness
We still hope for a wish, to help live
The tide comes in, rises
Like a breath, a clutter of words
And swallows our hope
We are lost
We are out of breath
Olivia Moors
Untitled
Cool reminders and soft advice
Carefully staged compliments and cautions against the blinding white
The longer they hold the harder it will be
They are soft and kind and forgiving and you don’t need to see
That letting go is easy with strictly arranged numbness
That falling apart will make you feel no less
They know what you want to hear
The shadows whisper softly it’s fine, my dear
Kate O’Reilly
A Time
This is where
We stood in the light
I had a hand to hold
For the first time
Our best times
Taken by passing nights
I miss them
But we’ll be alright
Maybe I’ll see you again
Once upon a time
Camille Larkin
My Generation
My generation is beautiful,
It’s philanthropists and feminists,
Nutritionists and nitwits
Jesuits and intuits,
Herbalists and hobbits.
But all in all I love it.
Pelumi
These Walls
The people who walked before I
The people who flocked the hallways
Following the same path until nigh
Helplessly tumbling through life
Having no idea what was yet to come
So much effort that leaves you feeling numb
Different perspectives on the same hollow thing
The Shepard is guiding us through each day
Until we have nothing left to say
These walls remember me, for who I am
Anon
A Way
We are trying to find a way
A way out, a way around, a way through
A way to fix it
A way to change
A way to save ourselves from it
It that forces us
Forces us to look like a model
Forces us to get 200 likes
To have perfect skin, perfect clothes
Perfect hair, perfect makeup
To be perfect in an imperfect place
But I’m not, it’s not, we’re not
Amy McCann
This is Me
This is me
I need people, I need everyone
Do I though?
That’s a good question
A very good question
The answer is,
No I don’t need people I don’t need everyone
I only need myself.
Roisin Keenan
Untitled
I come from an old library in the school,
Sat next to girls which I know don’t really like me.
Coming to school everyday the thought of having no one else to hang with but them.
But remembering when I go home it will all be a delight,
spent with the best family and friends which makes it all better.
Anon
I Need
I need the bigger room
My brother doesn’t need it
What the hell is wrong with my mam
I’m going to go and steal it
I have more clothes than him
I need more space
He doesn’t need four wardrobes
Time to put him in his place
I’ve always had a single bed I can’t fit a double
I don’t have space for my boyfriend
He’s in big trouble
I think it’s time for him to move
He’s been in college for 3 years
I think he should get an apartment
Like all his other peers
Aoife Byrne
Anything
Let’s travel the world
Let’s fly to the moon
Or let’s just talk for a minute
Anything
Anything
Just talk to me.
Spend time with me.
Please.
Lucy May Roberts
Live
Live the life you love,
Love the life you live,
For it is very short,
And can never be bought.
Life can be good,
Or it can be bad,
You’ve gotten many things,
You wish you never had.
Anon
Betray
You would never expect that the person you once loved the most would use you,
Betray you, abuse you till you despise them more than anyone.
You don’t realise it at first you think your just being overdramatic
Or it’s your fault the more they hurt you the more harder it is to love them.
You still don’t realise until someone points it out.
It’s that realisation that makes you so mad,
You let yourself be used and manipulated you
Let them make you think everything was your fault when it was theirs.
Everyday you realise different ways you were mistreated by them.
It makes you want to cry because you lost a friend.
It’s heart-breaking. It’s hard to face them every day in school,
Knowing that they didn’t think they did anything wrong.
How could you ever trust someone the same again,
If the person you once trusted most in the world lied to you?
Anon
A Dilemma
My name is Emma,
I have a dilemma,
I wanted to be called Gemma,
But my mom called me Emma.
It’s really sad ,
But I am glad,
I am called Emma,
Thanks for listening to my poem,
Goodbye from Gemma,
Oh….
I meant Emma.
Emma
Girls
Being a girl is not easy
Boys always have it easy peasy
Slut shamed all the time
Every girl saying “I’m fine”
Slut shamed and getting called a hoe
Fighting over a boy always you know
Fat shamed and self confidence issues
No one is there to dry your eyes with tissues
Being a girl can be alright
Having your girl friends to back you in a fight gossiping and chatting about boys
Being a girl can be filled with joys
In the end, I’m ok with being a girl
Because girls are precious just like a pearl
Ciara
When I Look
When I look in the mirror,
I wonder who I should be
I only see the errors
And the person I wish to see
One day I’ll look in the mirror
And learn to be myself
Because the most important thing in life,
Is learning to love yourself
Molly Matthews
Lay in Bed
I lay in bed at night
Eyes shout ever so tight
My mind is racing like a car
On the road going oh so far
Tell me when I can go to sleep
Oh please tell me so I don’t weep
Please please set me free
Insomnia is going to be the death of me
Katie Mcguirk
I Love
I love your eyes and how they light up with happiness,
I love seeing you happy and the way you smile so hard that it makes me smile,
I love the way your hair falls so perfectly below your shoulders
And put it behind your ears when you’re nervous,
When I look in your hazel eyes, it feels as though I’m swimming in a sea of chocolate,
A sea that I entered reluctantly in the beginning
Because of the fear of drowning or the cold temperature,
But once I entered and began to find your depth,
I became warm and I was grateful for falling into those eyes,
Now I swim nervously, knowing that at some point
I will have to leave the warmth and be cold and lonely once again,
But in a split second you look away and I feel cold again,
I love looking at you longingly as you talk to your friends and laugh and chat with them,
Wishing that someday I might be the one you’re looking at and laughing with,
I love you,
I love everything about you,
I love that I love you,
I just don’t love that you don’t love me
Anon
The Feeling
The feeling of being under water
Is like no other
The peace blocks out all the outside
The music, the people, the schoolwork, worldwide
The clear blue water allows you to see
The future is bright you will see
The weight on your shoulders is lifted
The moment you enter the restricted
Laura Murphy
True Home
After a long journey you finally reach true home
The overgrown plants greet you in the yard
The place that smells familiar
Where objects have not moved
And dust has began to fill the crevices and cover faded photos
You greet the people who seemed they would be there forever
But now you hug them like there is no tomorrow.
Anon