Raping School

this is my week 2 assignment for a class. we are supposed to use a correlating object to express thoughts and feelings about a social issue .. its a free on-line class from the University of Iowa

So many changes

Too many failures

She's supposed to succeed.

Her hands clench old and worn books

frayed grey and brown books

broken buildings

It's as though they were her only treasures.

Falling apart at the binding books

curriculum content books

long obsolete; but

in this hood .......... treasures. She can't do any better

He sees her

Waits for her

He devours her plaid skirt just below her knees and

knows she deserves it.

He smiles for her and shows his teeth

his dirty needle teeth to

bite,spit and

drool in school

they call it a crime

He hates her books, her hands, her hope.

He can barely contain the disdain .....he makes more money in a day.

the lunch packed by mother grinds to dirt her

books go down

s'pposed to save .........scattered leaves torn and blown

the dust doesn't settle

it chokes and blinds the lessons lost.
So many changes

and just another failure

Author's Note

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

life teaches us lessons books can't---and some who resent others' learning, want to burn not only the books but also the others' purpose in life...destroy them mentally, physically and emotionally.
like Lydi...want to punch this guy in his ugly , sneering teeth.
heavy hitting here...
the abuser needs to be bound within the pages and the book slammed shut and stepped on.

[Einstein Noodle]

yes ...bad guys do exists don't they ;( innocence and opportunity snatched away in a heartbeat .. thanks for reading jacob .. i appreciate the encouraging words
E.

[Karen Redburn]

Very powerful, sad and true. Perfectly explains love of the all mighty dollar over priceless learning. I enjoyed the piece, thank you for the read!

[Einstein Noodle]

hi Karen! i don't think i have met you before; but memory doesn't always serve me correctly ... I appreciate your visit and will return the call ..thank you for reading and leaving a review .. so glad you enjoyed reading ..tho it is sad for sure
E.

[AYVID N]

This created a very very sad feeling in me. So many questions to which one will presumably never find answers in this lifetime. One of them, just one of them being, Why is life such a cruel teacher? God bless the little girl and uplift and strengthen her.

[Einstein Noodle]

yes ...thank you for taking time and sharing your thoughts Divya ... we do have our questions don't we ... and yes ..lets invite God into our worlds together eh!? so much appreciate your reviews
E.

[AYVID N]

Its such a pleasure. Thanks for sharing beautiful poetry.

[Mirror]

IMAGINE. imagine the stinking rapist. imagine. i feel like getting in there myself!

[Einstein Noodle]

it is a deep darkness isn't it ;{ thank you for taking time to review Mirror .. i am so glad to be getting to know you better here at the Cafe ;))
E.

[Mirror]

I am glad to know you too dear friend... thank you :))

[Benita-Staebell M - Kin..]

I've never been raped but at times
I always felt from the abuse I went
through I was to blame usually we do
feel that way even in being bullied
It isn't as bad now you can't see it
at all but because of my ADD I hated
going to school and being around people
boys did things in my passed that should of never happened I wouldn't hurt no one
but I still don't trust people I just can't
get over that I hate being touched by
strangers because of what I've been through
but I don't have Autism I understand
them well but my mother is a nurse
so movies books and my Autistic friends
I learn from them but I just can't figure
It out I hate crowds I'm not dangerous
it's just people are so loud and rude I prefer peaceful I just don't trust too easy as much from that nightmare of a toxic marriage I went through and there's bad people that's why I don't trust easily I know if they're bad I never go anywhere alone at all. This made me sad to read but you did an amazing job. Take care friend

[Einstein Noodle]

17 yrs is a long time to heal from my friend .. and solitude is a blessing ;) i love my quiet times ..in fact i need them to refresh my spirit ..i am an introvert so crowds and groups of people do not invigorate me as they do extroverts .. there is nothing wrong with that at all ;) i imagine this was a hard read for you .. i doubly appreciate you working through it and reviewing it ... tho the "rape" is a metaphor i feel the pain it touched ...and for that i am sorry ..in a good way .. love and hugs dear Cafe friend :) courage and comfort to you always
E.

[Benita-Staebell M - KindredPoet]

Very true my friend there's evil in places you can't see but I started seeing it everywhere in my ex family but not in my son. I always enjoy reading your work I'll probably be emotional for awhile but it's ok I'm healing. God bless

[Benita-Staebell M - KindredPoet]

But I also learned me not wanting to be around crowds and being an introvert it's hereditary is not totally my ADD my dad's mother hates big crowds and my great grandmother Marie hated crowds my dad's mother's mom and my Grandpa Noel hated crowds it's weird you know but I love to be by myself more I don't get overwhelmed or hurt that way.

[Einstein Noodle]

God bless you ...i believe things will calm down in your life ... and direction and answers will reveal themselves to you ... so happy for you in healing

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Some people justify their deviance by creating a halo of deserving around their victim's head. She deserved it, was asking for it, with her lofty, holier than thou, nose in book attitude. So I gave it to her! A brutal portrayal here 'E'

[Einstein Noodle]

yes ..thank you John... we certainly agree to the tragedy of it ..:((
E.

[olla]

well done Mr. Noodle.. I like that you used old books with tattered bindings.. this is an old lesson... but it is also about the HOOD.. where even the bad guy is a victim of the rape of HIS hope.. and BTW.. these victims can as easily be male victim/female perpetrator... and the failure is OURS.. it also touches on the generational aspect of this issue.. her with the used books and him with his hopelessness.. these are learned behaviors passed from generation to generation.. even as the acceptance by outsiders is passed from parent to child.. and we all suffer for it..

[Einstein Noodle]

olla ..so good to have your stopping by ..and especially because your reading is insightful and spot on ..i am so gratified by your words .. yes, yes and yes ..that is everything i was trying to say .. i am so happy right now .. thank you! :)
E.

[olla]

you are so welcome.. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.. if one goes back before Television.. social commentary was always a story or a poem of some kind.. I miss that kind of storytelling..

[Coyote Poetry]

Anyone who harm a child. Steal her innocence. I hope pay in hell one day. The poem. Powerful read that made the reader think. Thank you my friend for sharing your words and thoughts.
Coyote

[Einstein Noodle]

hi Coyote Man!! always good to have your visits .. i have to stop by your place soon... it has been a while ... thank you for reviewing .. and for sharing your thoughts and feelings about abuse .. much appreciated!
E.

[Coyote Poetry]

Always my pleasure to read your work and you are welcome.

[Ken Simm.]

Books protect minds but only so far. Books can be confounding or apparently give permissions. What books will never do is make abuse on any level, acceptable.
Written with empathy which is what it should be.
This is not poetry as art. This is poetry as education. And violence is always the resort of the incompetant.

[Einstein Noodle]

thank you for your sensitive reading and very encouraging words Ken ... i was trying to make books my "correlating object" ... something i learned in my class ;) so i am gratified you picked up on it the way you did ..
E.

[pia]

abuse is comes in many forms. physical and mental and emotional. leaves a person wondering what they did to deserve it. the victim always feel its their fault. one can find abuse in all spheres of life. children in school face this issue through peers teachers or other authorities. its really sad.
to be honest as time goes on i feel my own group of friends are sorta abusive. in a very discrete and subtle way. ive tried finding ways to cut myself off but and sometimes i wonder is it my fault they behave like that or are they just really s****y people. but at the end of the day no one deserves to feel like crap or be put down needlessly.
thank you fro writing this poem
it was a good write

[Einstein Noodle]

i couldn't agree with you more Pia! thank you for visiting and reviewing ... at a time i thought my friends were the most important thing in the world (teen years) my Dad, during one of our serious talks said that friends were a dime a dozen ..i was pretty upset by that but a funny story ... i was sharing that story with my wife when our family was young and growing and she said "Well, no wonder we don't have any friends ..we don't have a dime" i got such a chuckle out of that ;) it is a struggle isn't it ..to remain an open person yet still guard one's feelings and trust ... but we do make it eh!? i am glad you liked the poem and thank you for reviewing!
E.

[pia]

my mom always said the same to me 'friends are temporary just concentrate on your career and yourself' and i always shunned the whole notion away like naah maa i need my squad. it is now when i enter university and realise shes been right.

[Einstein Noodle]

yep! ;) ...... funny how that works isn't it ...great fortune to you by the way...as you enter your university years ..how exciting!!

[pia]

thank your so much !!

[Tracey~]

I have to believe that those who steal the innocence from others will be taken care of in some divine matter. Abuse on all levels is unacceptable. Life and some of the struggles are hard enough without being raped by society..xo Well done...

[Einstein Noodle]

exactly ..here in the USA our school systems are more and more a mess ..especially in the more depressed neighborhoods ..on top of all those challenges, which as you say are hard enough...there are the gangs, drugs and broken homes that do steal away even what honest students seems to have ..there are no easy solutions and no one organization or one block of money that will turn it around ... i think it has to start with parents and peers .. i am so grateful for your remarks and your taking time here Tracey ..see you around for sure
E.