St Finian’s College, Mullingar, Westmeath

What is a man?

They call themselves men when they don’t show loyalty,
They call themselves men when they don’t care about anyone but themselves.
Real men show the world that they would take a blow for someone other than themselves,
They show that they would go lengths for the person they love,
That they can give to someone they love.
Real men get put down for being different to society,
When real men are important to society.
I try to be a real man,
and so should all men.

 

My Own Person

We are who we are
Yet we want to be someone else
We want to look the same
No one is their own person
They are ashamed or embarrassed
We are who we are
They want to express their ideas
Yet they dont want to get judged
We are who we are
So I gave up and I am my own person

 

Men and Butterflies

Born on rags,
Raised to act rich
Never to be anyone’s bitch,
Mullingar, never more cold
everyone’s geeking the second someone’s bold.

Never themselves often acting tough
even when things get rough,
weeping at night, acting through day
afraid of being called gay

Masculinity forged this way.

 

Candle Burns

I was drawn to you like a moth to a flame,
never thinking, never knowing bout the heat or about the pain.
All i saw ahead of me was a soft golden light
A new hopeful glow through the darkness of night
But you, being fire, only saw me a fuel,
Left me hurt, left me shaken, left me feeling like a fool
I hid scars, i hid marks, waiting for that soft light to return.
But finally i realised, all fire does is burn.

 

Walking

While the cat callers call
just to make you feel small
I try to remember
Why me? But why them?
I’ve known them for years
Through primary school fights and tears
about football and teasing each other about height
What has changed? Who?
If you know me and I know you
What could’ve changed the person I knew…

Different

Being different is not easy, but it shouldnt be hard
Some people think everyone should be the same
I for one take pride in it
To not would be a shame

“Different” what an ugly word
“Unique” is my favourite way to put it
because if everyone was the same
everyone would sound like hypocrites.

 

Why do I overthink it? I just write what I think.

I know I’m a girl, but my favourite colour isn’t pink.
What has our world come to? there are rules for everything.
Rules about boys and girls and and what they should be doing.

Girls and boys are separated and certain social situations apply differently.
If girls have more than one boy, they’re called sluts. Boys are called the ultimate ‘G’ so why is there no say.
Boys, with their crude language and wandering eyes, Girls with their perceiving minds and gentle words.
But hold up, why are these only associated this way? Can’t girls use bad language and boys speak gently?
Let’s stop this stereotypical images we paint and say.
And banish all of these rules today.

 

Waiting

We all live waiting
For the next best thing
the next tragedy
the next major event
the next disease
the next problem
the next solution
the next catastrophe
We all live waiting
Never doing
Just waiting
for something new
that changes everything.

 

I watched her kiss

the bruises their loving hands placed on my soft pale skin
The same hands that cooked the meals she shamed me for eating
The eyes that saw me off on my first day of school looked into the eyes she created with resentment
I never understood her feelings towards until i felt the same
The face she once coorest is the same as hers the same her source pain
The genes are stong on her side of the family
I left that family along time ago but the scars she left on my once soft delicate pale skin remain

 

The feeling

before class was always dread, I hated it.
I knew I wasn’t good at it, every test score screamed it, so did every teacher.
I tried to understand it, but at some point, my brain decided I just didn’t get it
‘Just study’ was a common phrase in my house, as if looking at the same thing over and over again would make it make sense.
It never did, it made enough sense to pass, but to never enough to be great.
The feeling before class was always dread, I still hate it.

Empty Halls

As I wonder down the empty halls,
I hear those whistles and catcalls,
I cover up while still trying to have fashion,
Still hearing you call with such deep passion,
While I stand there in awe,
You have an open jaw,
Just leave me alone,
Go look at your phone,
Remember your mother or sister or cousin,
While you stand there asking, pushing and pushing.

 

Black eye eagle

In the sky was a eagle with a black eye
While I was eating my fry
The eagle with the black eye came down
On my shoulder and he was shy

I pet him on his head
His black eye was scary
I thought it was dye
He flew away and I said goodbyeeeeeeee

Who I am

I wanna find out who I am
Am I smart like Einstein
Am I brave like my dad
Am I kind like my mam
Am I understanding like my friend
Am I dedicated like a leader
Am I strong like a rugby player
Will I make a difference?

Perfect Four

People expect the perfect four,
But never decide to look behind the door

Feeling unheard but never unloved
You hear me talk but dont really listen

You are one half of who I am inside
but still my feelings are always denied.

 

Depths

In the depths of a man’s mind,
Unseen struggles reside,
Strength is found in seeking help,
not in pride.
It’s okay not to be okay,
to reach out and share,
In vulnerability,
healing begins with care.

 

The Challenge

The future is hard
One wrong decision could lead to a disaster
Which will leave you scarred
This life is impossible to master

Life will rip and tear you open
For the smallest of bad things
Making every great thing an emotional factor
As each new event only begins

CHANGES

I can’t believe im 17 now
so much has changed in just a few years
I’ve been happy and sad
at the top and the bottom
and i think its shaped who I am
I’ve learned so much from other people
from their personal experiences and mine
so i try my best
to treat everyone with respect
so we can all live long and happy lives

Dark nights

Alone,
In a cab on your own,
The farm used to be my happy place,
Now i need to leave to get some space,
The Government kicks us when we’re down,
Saying farming is a waste of time,
Who is going to feed us when we’re hungry,
Maybe they’ll realise that the future is ugly,
Something needs to change drastically,
Or we’ll all die dramatically.

Trojan Pony

A wolf in sheep’s skin
How gender roles will spin
Society tries so hard to make akin
And yet they do not twin

They try to put either one on a pedestal
But we find the topic all so dull
For we are aware of the blinding imbalance
Yet we must intake these norms by gallons.

 

I believe

That people are either too sure of themselves or not confident enough, people question their own identity too much and then there is a percentage that don’t question themselves enough. People don’t exist as themselves but as several different aspects of their environment around them that influences their behaviour and character. I believe individuals that are over confident in their own opinions are influenced by their background and surrounding environment that helps convince themselves that they are acting the right way but I believe that people are mainly guided by their morals. I believe the best way to live is to live by your morals your good morals.

 

Boys Life

Boys life is difficult and hard
A rocky road through secondary school
As friends may not think you are cool

Boys Life, sports or hobbies that boys do
as our feelings gets lower to low
we stick with them as long as we are passionate

Boys Life , beutiful girls all around
our Hearts get bigger and bigger
and so does our figure.
Boys Life.

 

Misunderstood

I hate being misunderstood when people manipulate situations playing victim in situations that they created. I hate when people has a false narrative and doesn’t have a full understanding of what I am trying to get across . I hate that someone who view themselves more superior has the ability to make me feel small . I hate when people try justifying there actions with comparing them to things I have done which are no where near as substantial.

 

What I Do

I sit and watch the game at night, I sit and watch my phone so bright
I watch the days pass me by, I watch my dreams fly so high
I stand and watch my friends with glee, I stand and watch them succeed.
I cry and watch you pass me by, I cry and then I wonder why
I watch my life in the sky and hope to know one day why

 

Salad Dog

Such a strange definition
For a name that one to themself has given.
A sweet and joyous little soul cannot
Yet allow themself to be unlocked.
And any time they try to be seen,
Nobody lets them through. For what they see
Is someone who merely wants to cause trouble,
So they bring their very soul to rubble.
They know they can’t explain the truth
For everyone would see them as uncouth.
Salad Dog; it’s who they must be for now
Until they can be themself. But how?

I am being left out

Teenage love is all there is
Boy and girl meet and go about
Girls thinking about how they can be his
Is this what I want
To be longing for a relationship
This thought is with me like a haunt
It tears through my heart like a rip
Will I ever find what I yearn
To have someone to call home
Or will my heart be burned
Or will my life feel like a love poem

 

The Oscar

From the constant acting and the constant attitude,
the constant arguing and constant regret, the true colour never shows,
the family fights from the family chatt’s,
the family laughs to the family sad’s,
you never know what u have,
the lads with there fight and might ,
the lassies from sight to lies,
you wish for the true colours,
i never exepted who i am, all i know,
i’m a golfer! ,may be weak to you , i may be weak for all,
but i know i’m strong with all that matters.

 

Love can be anything

Love can be a dream. Love can be anything that you want love to be.
Love can be anything but love can be far from happy. Love can be sad.
Love can be like a dagger, a stab in the back. Love can be anything that you don’t want it to be.
Love can be hard but yet so happy.

 

I come from places

where people don’t show faces
instead they show themselves with alcohol
and aerosol, and think they are ok
but instead they decay their life with despair
and betray,
They decay away and turn grey
while they display betray.

 

Mind Fein

I can have a mind of my own
A personality shaped for me alone
I can have my own unique skills
Different from others who have different thrills
I can have emotions of all kinds
Tears and joy that come from the mind
But when I step outside of home
I can’t show myself anymore.

 

As Blue as the sky

You’ll always be the apple of my eye,
Through thick and thin,
Maybe it wasn’t always him,
He could’ve always just been stuck in the gym,
He enjoyed the time he had with you,
It was always so sublime,
Like snow on a winters day,
Or the lake water trickling down your spine,
Together or Not,
You’ll always have that spot,
If he cant love you close,
He will have to love from afar,
But he still wishes upon every shooting star,
That one day hell have that spot back in your heart.

I miss

The radiance of a sunny day
I miss the clocks subtle chimes
I miss the laugh of my youth
I miss the slowness of the time
I miss colouring on the walls
I miss the little falls

These Halls

As we walk these halls,
We look at the shirts upon anothers back,
Each one the same as the last,
But we all hide beneath them, a story of the past.

We cease to notice the scarred skin of our piers,
And judge one another when we see tears,
But just beacause a drip runs down ones cheek,
Does not make a man nor woman weak.

Cold and Shiny

The way it feels running through my skin sharp,
cold and shiny.
makes me feel alive,
makes me feel right
cant talk about it, don’t want to talk about it,
i dont want people to deny me
its like a little fire in me just waiting to ignite
maybe one day maybe someday it wont define me.

 

Most days are the same

from getting up at 7am to doing my hair all over again,
Then dragging myself down to the bus and then sitting there without any fuss,
Then trying to stay concentrated while the teachers waffle on,
Now back to the bus to go home, and try not to grow about what’s left to do
Then out to my ponies for a bit of clarity, then into the telly for a bit of sanity
Lastly up to bed to do it all over again.

Through the Trees

I lock my bike to a tree and make my way into the woodland.
As i follow the beaten path i begin to wonder if I’ve been leaden on,
only to find clues of those who came before me.
small encampments rear their heads as i make my way down to what was promised.
They can’t see me here.
arrived at my destination I can’t help but notice how the seconds turn to minutes, turn to hours, turn to days.
all of this only to end up back where i started.

 

Reality of Life

When I was younger, I used to think life was easy
And everything was rainbows and daffodils
But then reality kicked in and I got older
And I realised what I was in for
Life wasn’t rainbows and daffodils at all
It is to do with men and ‘what you were wearing’ if you are a woman of course
You don’t get a say on what’s right and what’s wrong
Back not even one hundred years ago we didn’t even have rights
Our job was to have kids and cook and clean for the ‘man’ of the house
And men nowadays seem to still think like that

 

Love, Loyalty, Lies

Love is where it starts, that honeymoon happiness you both feel,
Love is what you feel, when you have that inseparable longing to be beside each other.
Lies are what will destroy your happiness and longing,
Love is what will destroy you both in the end.
Loyalty is something you commit too, love is just a feeling.
Your Loyalty speaks louder than actions.
Loyalty over powers lies.
Lies over power Love.
Love Over powers Loyalty.

 

Staying Alive

As all of us roamed through the fields of
Beautifully bloomed poppy’s wishing upon
God that war was as sweet as sugar,
barely staying alive we held each other tight,
the wind howled while we let out angryless
Tearless sighs.

I could feel the city breaking and everybody shaking
As i got the phone call i could feel the world aching,
I’ve got the wings of heaven on my shoes,
Barely staying alive just for you

The children in class drew delusional decorative pictures
of you, We hung them up while the sun shined down on us
And we desired about you,
We carry our pain like you carry your pride,
They are too beneficial in making your future bright.

I walked home from school looking at my reflection in
The puddle wishing yours was there beside me,
We will cherish the happy moments we had together forever.

 

The darkest night

Taunting as it may seem,
Looks down upon creation below,
Its white face glows
Until the clouds do allow,
Different colours to act now
Creating the silhouette of dusk,
Bright like the subtle taste of musk
Birds cloud the sky,
Ready for their evening flight,
Back to the morning they go

Waiting for society to come afloat

One Chance

Hours and Hours of practice leading up to one specefic date and you only have one chance.Money and time go into this and you have to prove yourself with one chance.Waiting patiently for you’re number to be called behind stage,You walk on everyone is watching you,youre nerves cover youre whole body and your being judged by more than just the 5 judges infront of you,you have one and a half minutes to show all youre hours of practice its youre only chance.

Hours go by,

you have on chance and now its out of youre control someone else decides how well you do for that one moment you leave that floor.Was it what you wanted probably not but it was you’re only chance.

 

Back in the day

my life was fun
There was so much to get done
Days went by like a snail on the road
Homework was not a heavy load

Every thing was a new experience to me
Nothing was ever a bore
but it seems as of late
I can’t help but really snore

Work takes up all my free time
laziness takes up anything else
Back in the day my life was fun
Now it feels like everything has been done.
Over and over.

Tough

My future will be tough
as I don’t know what I want to do
So many options I don’t know what to choose
But I know i will excelle
My future will be filled with decision
that may be good or bad but
i hope ill make the right one.

 

The Company Lads

I enjoy the company of lads, they’re fun ,active and have the same interests
I enjoy the company of lads, they’re honest, funny and kind.
I enjoy the company of lads, they know how you feel and they’re someone to talk to.
I don’t enjoy the company of lads, they’re sneary, don’t think about your feelings and follow the crowd
I don’t enjoy the company of lads, the take the piss to please others.

 

Emotions

Emotions as quiet as staring at the ocean,
Boys keeping quiet trying not to stir commotion,
While levels of vunerability rose,
And boys just staring at girls who pose,

 

The Sound Of Music

Music is my source of happiness
My creative outlet
i distance myself from others and slowly fade away
i get to experience an alternate reality
to hear the sound of peace, love, violence
it tells a story
portrays a memory

how a sound can provoke an emotion we will never know
but we do know the feeling
we can feel the sound,
relive the moment
happy or sad whatever you want

 

Metamorphosis

Where a boy becomes a man
Where a young man becomes the town hero
Where a shy kid becomes a brave king
Where a popular lad becomes the people’s player
Where a small village becomes a national icon
Where a local club becomes a safe place for people to be themselves
Where gaa becomes more than sport

 

Hurling

It keeps sinners away from sin
brings people to their feet
hurling won’t put you in the bin
but it will keep you upbeat
Hurling is a life which
you’ll never be alone
hurling can be better then a wife
a place you can call home.

Flames Rise

My anger rises each day,
as she walks into the room bossing me around on display,
my hatred towards her grows more and more,
as she watches me fall down the stairs till I end up on the floor,
she argues with me when she knows shes wrong,
makes me feel like my head will explode.
I love her with my whole heart,
knowing she thinks of me as a rat,
I wouldn’t be able to live without her,
sibling love is strong in a different way,
as my love towards her grows from hate,
living a peaceful life, I coudn’t relate,
I will always be grateful for her, even if she burns my skin
through thick and thin with just a few words she would say.
She might not be the brightest or smartest or bravest but,
She is everything to me, the person I look up to everyday…

Buzz

Bees are red and white
bees bring me to the same place every weekend
bees make my weekend happy
bees make my weekend sad
bees bring me excitement for 90 minutes
bees is my club
Bees are brentford

 

Sport

Sport in my opinion is misunderstood. The thing since we started playing when we were children. The wish and dream to be as popular and skillful as the “best player on the team”. The popularity and acceptance and the other worldly confidence you get from others opinions. You then start comparing yourself, Losing your true self in this hunt to be considered the “best”. Losing that flair that only you individually have and this best “player” could only dream of. I think in simple terms that the game that you love should be played as freely and independently as one can.

Roses

are red violets are blue John broke a window and he admitted to it too. He was told he had to pay and he was left with nothing to say so he walked away to try to carry on with his day. John is a farmer whose mullet acts like armor but the ladies say he’s a charmer. He lost his woman she set off running and now he’s left with nuttin. He went home depressed and he tried to get it off his chest but he couldn’t get through. He eventually told his dad, but he got very mad so he ran back to Kinnegad. He met up with his friend and they tried to apprehend what he could have done. So he apologized again and everything was done.

Four Walls

Sitting inside 4 walls
Listening to someone I hate
Thinking about the weekend,
and waiting for the sound of the bells.

Guilty

I hate it when im made feel guilty for waking up past nine in the morning but my brothers are encoraged to lie in and rest until their hearts content. I hate it when i have to do a million jobs without any praise but my brothers are worshipped for a single 1 minute ‘job’, I hate it when they can thrive by just being a man but ive to fight for the same oppertunities.

 

Video games

Games are like canes.
Canes do support,
Video games support emotions that were hurt,
There everything were not so play when your in a tough spot,
Thats why I think video games are great and were not.

Sportopia

What else is accessible to everyone,
What else doesn’t have requirements,
Everyone can do 2 things
We all love
We can all play sports

Sport is my freedom

Sport is when the world goes quiet
Sport is the friends I make
Sport is the distraction from real life
Sport is the fun times and new experiences
Sport is the ups and downs of life