St Benildus College, Dublin

Mask

A mask to take ,
A persona ,unveiled,
A shadow,
Of a former face ,
Of once one self ,
A different sight,
Of a world
Trodden,
A vulnerability ,
Token to heart,
A shadow of doubt ,
Throw away ,
A former self ,
Of hidden self.

 

Six Grains

Six grains of gravel, mountains abound
Many men that want to unravel their feelings are bound
Bound by society, especially sobriety.
Twelve beads upon burning skies
Many people arent the true selves but actually lie,
Lie to themselves about personality and characters they do.
Distant towers upon a cracked earth
Many people dont stay the same since birth,
But birth anew when they find themselves true.
Eight spots on a blind eye, Thank you for reading and for all a goodbye.

Slide Tackle

Going in for a slide tackle, like challenging another man’s bravado.
Getting nutmegged, and looking over to see the girls on the sidelines reactions.

 

No First Chances

All the chances were given told not to do it again not knowing the circumstances of what will happen and still finding out the hard way all these Garda who hate you as a person harassment on the streets trying to do every day things it’s impossible with out a section 16 stop and search multiple interviews and interrogations later and still that little mistake at 13 years old can cost for the rest of your life with a criminal record.

 

In a Classroom

Filled with rows a teenage boys spirit arose.
He saw the rules and felt confined
yearning for a life undefined.
Books and tests a boring routine
I longed for a world yet unseen.
I dreamed of breaking free from the mold
discovering my passion bold and untold.
I saw beyond the textbook pages
seeking wisdom from life stages.
So I always believe
I have the power to shape my own path
and create a life that’s true to who I am.

 

Both Corners

I come from good family with good parents they raise me to be a gentlemen yet
My favourte sport is ungentlemen like.
You step in a ring and brawl with another guy
But when the 3 rounds of trying to kill eachother ends, nothing but respect comes from both corners.

The autumnal trees

Glowing as October turns to November, basking in the cold, crisp sunlight. Walking along the canal as the golden leaves flood it’s banks along with the tents of the homeless. That feeling in your chest as the lads call a disabled passer-by a slur, eating you alive as you laugh along in complicity. The shame of being a bystander, crushing you like a hydraulic press, compressing your lungs as you lose any idea of pride in yourself as a man. Is this what masculinity means? I disagree. The joy of watching your best mate succeed, the quiet kid in class getting a round of applause for his test result. Rising, uplifting, sharing. In my opinion, that is what it means

 

Intense Heat

As the suns heat gets intense,
The game commences

The ball is thrown in the air,
Followed by a swear

A free is awarded
And it is hit forward

Caught by fourteen
And shot with some steam.

 

Clear Vision

My vision is clear
I want to hear the cheer
Feeing the love
Flying like a dove
Scoring the winner
Going home to a nice roast dinner
Going to bed?
Put the work in instead

 

Listen

So let us listen with open ears
Embrace their stories quell their fears
For in unity we’ll help them find their way
Towards a brighter and happier day

In the tapestry of teenage mental health
May empathy and support be their wealth
Let this poem be a reminder a plea
To cherish and protect their minds wild and free.

 

Bottle Neck

From the day we’re born to the day we die we’re told to bottle up till the day we die
The slagging and the jokes can only go so far till one of your jokes make someone want to die
Acting cool and trying to make girls drool only goes so far when ur trying to be cool
Just being yourself and if your cool your cool
Whatever happens happens that’s what makes you cool.

 

I feel you

My friend, when life feels tough,
School and girls can make it rough.
But remember, it’s just a chapter,
There’s more to life, it’s a beautiful capture.

School may bring stress and endless tests,
But it’s a journey to bring out your best.
Learn and grow, face the challenges bold,
You’ll find your worth and the stories untold.

And as for girls, some may not see,
The gem that resides deep within thee.
But don’t lose hope, for one day you’ll find,
Someone who’ll see your heart, so kind.

Hold your head high, stay true to you,
In time, the right girl will come into view.
For life’s a rollercoaster, with ups and downs,
But remember, my friend, you’re wearing a crown.

 

Sports or bonding

We all play sports, some with a ball and some with not at all, this is the activity where we included all, no matter how big how small, its how we make friends whether your short or tall, it’s perhaps how we make, we play sports where we mall and sports in the hall but that dosent matter as long as we’re having a sprawl.

 

True Strength

In a world where strength is praised,
Men’s mental health often stays unphased.
But it’s okay to feel the weight,
To speak up and not hesitate.

Emotions run deep, like a raging sea,
It’s time to break the stigma and set them free.
Seek support, don’t suffer alone,
Together we can heal and make it known.

Remember, vulnerability is a sign of strength,
Taking care of your mind is never a length.
Reach out, my friend, and don’t be shy,
Your mental well-being should always fly high

 

Only you can be you

Be the guy you really are,
Nothing is more true,
Being someone else won’t get you very far.

You put on a brave mask,
Trying to be what they think you should be,
Stop pretending, look at them and ask
Come on, just let me be me.

 

Downtown boys

Acting all cool but little do they know there being fools ,
slagging a boy for being gay
when under the hard man look they try arise
hiding under a mask to hide their identity
when real life they are very friendly
Don’t act different to fit in
act different to stand out.

You cant be yourself

To the detriment of your health.
See, be masculine, get slagged,
Be feminine, get slagged.
Being fit is hard,
But fitting in is harder.
Just live, laugh, go along with it all.
Try your hardest not to fall.

 

Throne

Not arsed to write a poem
Lock myself in my room all alone
Can’t get hurt if I don’t let anyone in
That way I’m the king in control
But what’s the point in having a throne
If there’s no one to share it with
All alone.

 

Friends

should be the most important
thing to you in life.
Having one friend or more
that you know has your back
is a bond that’s near impossible
to break.

 

Love hunts you down

like an owl hunter the vole in the forest

If you see the doves flying by ,
It just means that you are going to have a good time

Falling in love could be as easy as this
Just as you’re cooking your favourite dish.

 

Dublin

I live in Dublin a very nice place, I like to get a chicken fillet roll from mace, and then when I throw an apple at a nannies face. I like to drink buttermilk with apple juice. My favourite hobby is giving old people skin fades. dara Maher gives me skin fades on my no no area. In school I enjoy going home.
Calum costello som of Emma costello gives me Fortnite lessons every Saturday afternoon.

The cold metal grips

hardening your skin. The feeling the machines give after a long hard set. Working hard in the night to reap the rewards in the day. The gym gives meaning and purpose to the day

Fire

Something that i do inspire is setting half a mountain on fire
The lessons and thoughts i did acquire include burning down a childrens choir

Taking people to get made and getting themselves a fresh skin fade
I think my excellence has been portrayed
In 14 hours im going to get paid

 

Burgers

I love the combination of cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and the meat.
The warmth that just courses through your body after every bite is simply sensational.
The dirtier the better.
Laced with grease and saturated fat, it’s an obsession.
However a gormet burger like that of Bunsen with thick quality buns and juicy meat.
What I would give to have the required funds to acquire this masterpiece created by fat Americans.
Just writing about this is driving me crazy and now I can’t wait for lunch.

Burgers

 

Hole in None

First tee nerves
It’s all to be lost
Try think about the good
But all you can see is bad
The round depends on this one massive shot
A big crowd watching
You hit it well
The round is saved

 

When the whistle blows

and it’s time to play,
All my thoughts and feelings fade away,
I’m no longer thinking,
Anything can happen in the space of me blinking.
I have to focus it’s time to play,
All my thoughts and feelings are sinking,
I wear that jersey with tremendous pride,
All my thoughts and feelings will subside.

 

No Fun Fair

School’s a rollercoaster ride,
Homework, friends, and tests collide.
But through it all, we’ll strive and thrive,
Learning and growing, feeling alive.

Garlic bread

I love it very much but I’m not suppose to
People expect me not to be like this but I am
It’s comforting to order garlic bread for dinner
People don’t understand why I like it so much so I don’t tell them
There are different types of garlic bread but I always remember my favourite
It’s unique, special to me
Other people don’t feel the same but they don’t have the same connection
I love Garlic Bread

 

Lads

Ask each other how they are but don’t mean nothing
when their friend could be going through it.
You could feel depressed or feel the best
as a man you have to feel peak or your recognized as weak.

 

I step on that field

I’m ready for war.
What they don’t know,
Is I’ll keep coming for more.
The clash of the ash,
The roar of the crowd,
There’s nothing like this,
I promise you that.

 

The school is cool

and the lads are too
Just getting through it, hoping I will pass too
And speeding through uni, hoping to make a bitta moonie
Maybe get a wife of a brilliant design
And kids and have grandkids.

 

Old battered shoes

with worn out laces
Everyone caught staring with blank faces
Shirts ripped and stained with mud
I’d like to leave if only I could
My friends aren’t friendly anymore
But maybe I’m a bore
I’m sort of waffling again
But I guess that’s just me.

 

Dog Fight

From start to finish it’s like a dog fight as soon as the ball takes flight shoulders and hits coming in on that pitch you cannot sin passion and aggression try as you might who wants it more will win the fight off the shoulder straight to hands the roar from the sideline the raise of hands corner forward wing back scoring goals on attack devastation misery what could have been is history

 

I come from a boring place

I live a cosy life,
I always wonder about those I see and their own strife.
I don’t know what is normal, am I the weird one,
The things that I hear, I’m not sure if I want to believe them.
They way that everyone my age acts is as regal as faeces,
I look at them from the distance as if I were a different species.
I don’t know how to act or what people expect me to be,
The false bravado, homophobia, sexism, I don’t like what I see.
Should they act more like me or should I act more like them,
I’ll never be like them, where did it come from, from where did it stem?
The way that my generation acts, from the distance it’s amusing,
But up close to see, I just don’t understand them, it’s confusing.

 

I am from Dublin

and I really like having a chicken fillet roll and chocolate milk from spar at lunch
But one day
They were out of chicken fillet rolls
I didn’t know what to do and I panicked
However I made up for it by having 3 later that day

Pitch

Once I step onto the pitch to play the game,
I crave the ball like I’m going insane.
15 v 15 on this great battlefield,
Your hurl a sword,
your helmet a shield.
There is no better feeling than winning,
The joy cannot be matched.
This game is life not some ordinary match

 

Two Feet Studs Up

You make each challenge like it could be your last
You remember the things your dad told you before the game
Your teammate gives you a dodgy pass
Your coach shouts your name
The man your marking has scored
Your heart sinks as the ball hits the net
You have lost your team the game again

True Love

People don’t understand what happens on that pitch
Everything changes
Nothing goes without a hitch
Nothing is the same
The game
Is like a war
The roar rattles you to the core
Every hit makes you feel sore
But we still play this beautiful game
Through the driving rain
With no hope of getting fame
Because we love this game

 

The Ball

From being outside and kicking a ball
A heartbreaking loss, just staring at a wall
A brand new season, plenty to gain
Looking back at last year, packed full of pain
Watching the team you’ve supported for years
Moments full of joy, then moments full of tears
In poor form, feeling stuck
To scoring a goal, they’ll say it’s just luck

Pops

The great, wise man,
Your life had a span,
Just shy of a century,
Worthy of a documentary.

Your stories, tales and narratives
All the positives and negatives
Your struggles especially,
Worthy of a documentary

In there Blood

People don’t understand what happens on that pitch
Everything changes
Nothing goes without a hitch
Nothing is the same
The game
Is like a war
The roar rattles you to the core
Every hit makes you feel sore
But we still play this beautiful game
Through the driving rain
With no hope of getting fame
Because we love this game.

 

The Point

From being outside and kicking a ball
A heartbreaking loss, just staring at a wall
A brand new season, plenty to gain
Looking back at last year, packed full of pain
Watching the team you’ve supported for years
Moments full of joy, then moments full of tears
In poor form, feeling stuck
To scoring a goal, they’ll say it’s just luck

This is Dublin

Living in Dublin, a city so grand,
Where hardships and struggles often stand.
But amidst the challenges, hope takes flight,
In this vibrant city, shining so bright.

Rain-soaked streets, a common sight,
Yet the spirit of Dubliners burns so bright.
From Temple Bar’s music to Grafton’s charm,
Dublin’s heart beats with a lively alarm.

 

A poem is a poem

Some poems are not poems
They’re terrible
They’re uninspired
Some so bad that you’d rather rot

If a poem is bad, it’s terrible
If a poem is good, it’s okay
If you think to hard about it, you’ll have nothing to say

 

I never liked school

I always found it a drool in my shirt and tie
I can’t wait to say goodbye these books and teachers,
they don’t excite I want to leave and get on flight.
I would do things my way through experiences and passions
that sway no longer wasting my day
and just waiting for time to go away.

 

I wish

we weren’t looked over
I wish we were appreciated
I hate that they over power everyone
and make you feel like dirt
I wish we were recognised for what we do good
and not be made feel small by these fools.

 

Green grass

Where we go to play,
Side by side, friendships born and made,
A second home for our very own,
This is our wonderful game

 

I appreciate

that life is easy
and not easy
cause we all can fight
through life’s struggles.
I appreciate life…

 

Bad Pass

You make each challenge like it could be your last
You remember the things your dad told you before the game
Your teammate gives you a dodgy pass
Your coach shouts your name
The man your marking has scored
Your heart sinks as the ball hits the net
You have lost your team the game again

 

My dad is a man

like anyone
but he bit hike
over every mountain
for the people he loved
which is who everyone should
thrive to be like in their life span

I dont really know

how to write a poem but i gave it a go:
To the family members that have passed away you went to soon some I couldn’t even say goodbye I know you are always watching over me so goodbye.

It’s Halloween night

I got a fright
From a knife
On the counter
Standing upright

 

Going in for a slide tackle,

like challenging another man’s bravado.
Getting nutmegged, and looking over to see the girls on the sidelines reactions.