St. Mary’s Secondary School, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary

The Light between the Oceans

Dreams of lighthouse lights illuminating it,
The sun touching it at sunset and sunrise on the horizon,
The Ocean craves the moon to keep it company at night,
Wishing to splash and break against the cliffs

The ocean wants to be filled with magnificent reefs
With unique and dangerous creatures,
The colour to be of swirled green,
Blue and white, shining like a crystal
The Ocean dreams of many things but itself.

Walls

Remember all the birthday parties,
The communions, the confirmations,
The new visitors, the old jokes,
The times of sadness, despair, the pain.
Every coat of paint, every picture hung,
Adds to the history,
The good times, the bad.
Each generation passes,
People growing old,
Moving out,
Moving on.
But these old walls still stand,
Still remember.

These Walls

Growing up
Friends come and gone
Fights had and smiles shared
Memories made and we still carry on

Looking back
There’s been good and bad times
We’ve cried and we’ve laughed
But that’s not a crime

Shadows

The shadows know
My inner thoughts,
My secrets,
My joy,
My despair,
My laughter,
And my tears.

It knows more about me
Than I know about myself
I wonder what it thinks,
Would it ever forgive me?
For the things I did,
The hurt I’ve caused
To the people who love me the most.

I’m Not What People See

I’m not what people see
I wonder how it feels to be free
I hold my head high in the air
But alone I look down in despair

I’m not saying I can’t feel happy
Because I want that so badly
It’s just the reputation
And expectations are overwhelming
I find it condescending
I’m not what people see

Keep Believing

I think it is important that you get up in the morning
When your heart aches and your life is messy
I think it is brave that you continue to open your soul,
Despite the way you were treated in the past.
I think that it is amazing that you keep going,
That you keep believing in yourself.
I think it is important that you choose, every single day, to move forward,
Because that is what makes you strong and powerful.

Stand Up

Stand up and hold your posters,
Don’t listen to people telling you to shut up
And to get back into your box

Do it now,
Say it now,
Before it’s too late,
Make your change,
Write your story.

I Say

I say I’m a feminist
I’m told no I’m a fundametalist
I’m a hypocrite
Who should just submit

I’m told my opinions are wrong
To go back where I belong
Where I belong is the kitchen
I’m told to cook the dinner
Or that I should be thinner

I’m constantly reminded
By all the small minded
That I could have it worse
That I get to go to school
Get I’m treated like a fool

So I won’t stop fighting
And by fighting I mean writing
Not until women are treated not just as equals
But as humans

Travel

To travel and fly away on a plane
Is a thrill.
New countries and cultures full of wonder
Waiting to be explored.
I want to stroll through soft sands
And sprint through Disneyland.
I want to bake in the heat of South Africa
And freeze to death in Alaska.
With my suitcase
I’ll travel from place to place
A grin plastered on my face.

Loving and Caring

From loving and caring
To judging and staring
Our generation has turned
And it’s not something we learned
Social media is powerful and makes some lives dull
From bullying and suicides, this is not ok
But in result some young people
It’s in the grave they now lay
Let’s make this better
Cause it’s unfair
Its life’s we’re talking about
Please dare to care

Memories

Memories last forever
If walls could talk
I wonder what they would say
The good times the bad times they all come and go
But all that your home sees we will never know
Both highs and lows but each hold special memories
All the special times from leaving for your first day of school
To possibly leaving for your wedding day
We may try to forget some of the bad times but they won’t be forgotten
Because these memories will last forever

Two Opposites

Two contrary opposites living under one roof
One drinks and smokes
The other not so much
Their worlds completely collide and their puzzle doesn’t fit
But somehow someway, they both get over it
She is him and him is she,
They’re both my parents and they love me

Untitled

Calls her husband a fool
And drove her children to school.
Where the sweet star children play
It does seem a dreadful rule.
They must stay inside all day
I suppose they go to school.
Like “cat” and “school”
Je suis fool

Life

Life as a teen isn’t always clean
For some it’s like a scene you would see on a screen
But it can always be a true story to some teen at sixteen

Life

Life can be tough,
Things may be rough
Through the good times and bad,
Sad moments are had,
You may begin to fall,
But remember that you must stand tall.

Global Warming

Climate change is real
It’s a big massive deal
Government acting like they care
When they’re only thinking about what to wear
The world is burning and our minds are turning
We need action not just words
The future is relying on us

This Town

Walking down the street
Finding something to eat
Nothing I can see
Just someone begging please

This town is a mess
Full of drugs and all this stress
People all spaced out
Beginning to be a dropout

Trying to be happy
Just some are so happy
We all want to leave
Find something to achieve

From

From school to back home
From home to the farm.
The same routine everyday
Wake up, school.
Come home, work.
Have the craic with the lads
And the chats with mam.
Then back home to bed
To wake up and start the day again.

“The Garda’s Daughter”

As if I’m no craic at all
I mean I’d report a confessed manslaughter,
But I won’t mention the last sesh
Unless I wasn’t invited
Then we have a problem.
But I’m not a snitch, a rat, untrustworthy or no fun
I’m probably more of a lush than you.

Earth

Earths slowly dying
The whole world is crying
Because of pollution
We need a solution
To save our earth
Before my child’s birth

My Generation

My generation is messed up and judgy.
It revolves around social media.
Girls are slut shamed and constantly judged,
But we try not to budge and be strong.
School is hard,
We feel as if we are barred from showing our true personalities.
People tell us to put down our phones,
But instead we are constantly moaned at.
About what’s right and wrong,
Even our choice of songs and every little thing that is wrong too.
We go out on the town and turn our frowns upside down to try and get some joy.
Yes we make mistakes but we are teenagers
And we are trying to get by and learn how to live life.

Years

We spent those years playing together,
Not a care about the weather,
As we sat outside in the sun,
Discussing the great things we had done.

We never realised the memories we were making,
All those risks we were taking,
But I wouldn’t change it for the world,
As all the lessons I had learned,
We will be friends for forever,
And those memories will last forever.

My Hometown

Every conversation we’ve had,
Every memory we’ve made,
The good and the bad,
Those who’ve gone and those who’ve stayed.

All the things we’ve seen,
The people we’ve met,
The places we’ve been,
And the things we’ll never forget.

Down to Tramore

Down to Tramore
We go in the Car
It’s lots of fun
And not very far

We all pile in
Into Nanny’s Bungalow
Where the craic is always had
And you’ll never leave feeling low

Walking In

Walking in the gates on the first day.
Feeling like a dog gone on stray.
In my blue uniform feeling so alone,
The one thing I wanted to do was just go home.
Meeting all the teachers and learning new subjects.
I just didn’t know what to expect.
Making new friends was not the best,
Feeling so sad and just by myself.
When the bell rang at 4,
I just could not wait to burst through the doors.
At home at last I just wanted this day to end really fast .

Sleep

When you fall asleep
Your thoughts begin to seep
Into your mind
Not always kind
Reminding you of those days
When you were in worse ways
When the tears streamed down your face
And you thought this would forever be the case
You awake again
And you pray to make it through the day, Amen.

As I Lay in Bad

As I lay in bed, thoughts begin to wander in my head
I look around, nothingness to see
But I hear little voices as if there is someone with me
Listening carefully to what they are trying to say
But it sounds as if there are far away
They say I’m going insane it must be all in my brain

Remember

All those years ago
The cool girls with the fags
And the poor girls in the rags
Were they friends or were they foes?

All the successes
Girls in pretty dresses
All A’s were had
And teachers going mad

Life

I’m not really sure where my life is going
I feel like I’m on a never ending train on the road to nothing
I enjoy my life and everything that comes with it
But sometimes I stop and think what am I actually doing
But I just need to kick back relax and enjoy whatever life brings me

“She”

I was born a girl, given the label ‘she’,
But I didn’t want to be
As a kid I looked longingly at the boys with their denim shorts and plaid shirts,
Wishing I was labelled ‘he’
But part of me fought against the masculinity
That roared inside, questioning whether ‘he’ was the solution.
So I tore off the label, my shirt left bare,
All the ‘he’s and ‘she’s stared,
Wondering what to call me
But among the crowd I could see someone who didn’t stare or sneer
They were just like me
At that moment, it all seemed clear
I was meant to be labelled’ they’

Blank

I hate when,
I have to write a poem
And
My mind goes blank.

It always happens,
People who often have most to say
Remain silent.

Peace.

Be

Be the person you are looking for,
Be kind loving, passionate, compassionate,
Understanding, generous, pure,
Faithful, committed, hardworking,
Respectful, honest, loyal and adventurous,
The person you are looking for will find you
And you will find them
Because your energies will attract you to each other like magnets

You Say

You say my room is messy
And that I am a disgrace
But it really it’s because I feel so stressy
I’m so busy trying to win some sort of race?

My head is torn apart
You don’t even notice me
I’m trying to fit my mess into a chart?
For once will you stop hassling and leave me be.

School

Got my results and out the school door
It’s summer time and time to party more
Go to the beach and lots of swimming
Nothing to lose only time for winning
Go to training most nights of the week
Feeling fresh then time to eat
Go explore and acting cool
Crying at the thought of school

Summer

I went to Garry everyday
Just to jump into the lake
Me and all my friends
Hoping the day would never end
Eating food
It’s such a mood
Cycling and swimming
Always feel like I’m winning

TY

Everyday is boring
Even the teachers are snoring
Finally a trip to the Panto
That wasn’t even glam though
The alarm went off at six o’clock
The bus was a crock; what a shock
Everyone is bursting for the loo
Toilet trip first, what is new
Then onto the shops
No money it’s all locked
Up. Burgers and chips after the show.
So far TY has been a bit of a low.

Get me Out to See More

All I want to do is get out of this dump
So get me out of this piece of junk
Sitting on those chairs
All I do is stare
I want to explore
So give me more
Get me to New Zealand
Where I’ll be free to explore

Change can be Strange

Climate change is so strange
I feel like young people can make a change
Ban the plastic and fossil fuels
Introduce the new electronic brooms.
I agree with the opinion that fuel is cruel
Let me strike to show my fight
Listen to the young people they are always right

Change

Seeing people hungry
Seeing people sad
Seeing people on trolleys
Really makes me mad

It’s now 2020
It’s time for things to change
It’s time for equality
And a change of government policy

Things are not easy
Life is getting tough
But when we stand together
We make our country better.

Untitled

Listening to this lad,
Speaking about our adults shaming us
About how we feel
I never realised until now but I relate to
This lad so much
All I hear is “sure look, it’ll be grand”
Our parents, our teacher, adults seem to always
Ignore how we feel cause there’s other
Places in the world that has it bad
I have a condition called crohns and
Whenever I feel crap about my situation, my mother says:
At least you don’t have cancer and your not dying
Right now mom, this is the only pain
I know, I’ve never had cancer
I’ve never been dying
But I have been through pain
And right now this is the most pain I have ever been through,
I don’t know what it’s like to have cancer,
I don’t and I hope
I never will
But I am a sick child
I do go to the hospital a lot
I do know all my team of nurses
And doctors and dieticians names and their stories
Your parents try to play off situations that suck
But I would rather my mother say:
Yes, you’re right it is hard.
I then know that she understands me
I can live a good life
Will it suck sometimes?
Yes, but sure look, it’ll be grand.

A Teen

Life as a teen isn’t always clean for some…
It’s like a scene you would see on a screen
But it can always be a true story for some teen at sixteen,
So yes it’s not always easy to be a teen.
So be kind and mind the one you love
Because they can be blind at times
And need a kind hand to help them into the light
And leave the danger behind
To start a better life for that teen at sixteen

When

When I’m in the gym I feel free
There is nothing that can conquer me
The burn on the treadmill is the best feeling
Although I don’t look very appealing
When I lift heavy, I feel free
But when I try to walk I feel wobbly at the knees
The gym is my comfort zone
Even though it hurts my bones

Sorry Ladies

The main pitch’s not free,
Surprise surprise oh yip-ee,
It’s the back field for us again,
And the bad times so we’re out in the rain.

Sorry ladies Tuesday’s out,
And Thursday and Friday without a doubt,
There’s no day for us to train,
So no new skills for us to gain!