Her Own Sticks & Stones

If you ask anyone, they'd say the same thing.

They only called her names. 

They only said words. 

It was her own fault that it happened this way. 

Because when everyone forgot how she felt, 

she was the one who had to remember. 

She was the one who didn't sleep well at night. 

She was the one who dealt with it. 

And when you had the audacity to ask her 

why she looked so down

she told you it wasn't your fault

because she still wanted to spare your feelings. 

She walked home and she went into her room

where she found her own sticks and stones. 

Where she remembered the words

and they transformed into knives. 

She went home, 

and looked at those knives

and deep from the rubble

this girl is still alive. 

Author's Note

This poem is very personal to me, so critique, but please don't be to brash.

Reviews

[Patrick Henry]

Well, you have managed to sum up my teens in a quick poem, Alice!! Love that name, too. : ) I use it in about 30+ poems of mine. To comment on this poem, for me it would lead to telling stories of my OWN past, and that would surely lead to wanting to hug the Hell out of you. The "cutting" was never that simple. It took on all the emotions felt, but it was not that innocent and understood, and no one knew for almost 10 years until I opened my mouth about it. I even went as far as planning out how to do a Seppuku in a way that ALL the people who tore at me with viscous discontent to further their own ego, would see how they "literally" ripped me in half. Then? The, I had no curfew, knew some of the most "dangerous" people in my city that were "known" for not getting caught with things they've done, and ideas, options, and everything imaginable was.... never mind. I did my own "self-therapy" of sorts!! lol It's quite disarming to see such a pretty smile in your picture and then to read this poem right beside it, but I also understand such a thing from going through it in many ways..... some of them horrific. : ) My heart goes out to you. I think it does with EVERY poem I've read of you thus far, Alice!! : ) xoxo -Mark

[A. V. Madison]

Mark, you flatter me so much!! I love hearing from you, dearie. And yes, it's quite disarming, as you said, to see how a smile can mask such awful things. Thanks for stopping by, Mark!

[Patrick Henry]

Enjoying you, Alice, proves to be very very easy. *Big Hugzz* It's a tough poem where the first half is designed to "convince" the reader that this girl IS suffering, but she because she is suffering herself more than others. It isn't so apparent until you read the second half, that this beautiful girl "who might need my kiss to cheer up and feel a little light instead of stuck with her feet on the ground where bugs and bullies do their roaming...lol"..... this girl looks for an answer on a daily basis and searches constantly whilst in moods that go up and down, and that may even be messing with her ability to recognize help when it comes, and/or when Love comes in the form of a friend with great timing or something new in her life that allows this girl to spread her wings!! I think this girl is beautiful and I Love her..... That last line is Hope. It's practiced hope, but it's Hope and only one who has gone through such things to not judge the "steps" involved would see it as such. Beautiful, Alice..... xoxo -Your Mark

[ATG]

A very well written poem about the harshness of words and the lack of empathy to those that have said words thrown at them. The format, for the most part, was perfect and the flow of the poem in general was very well done. Overall, a great heart felt poem.

[Guilt]

I think a word to describe this kind of behaviour is 'defeatist'. The monsters outside will never be worse than the monsters inside. Brilliantly relatable for many people I'm sure. And an awesome transformation of imagery.

- Cloud

[decemberalways]

The use of sticks and stones manifesting into knives was brilliant. And yes, the self loathing--I completely emphasize with her. Keeping things to one's self is a battle all in its own, so to have it end where she is still alive is quite promising.

[Frieda P]

Self loathing is probably more damaging than the stick & stones others hurl our way...those knives leave scars that last a lifetime, well said.