"The Kids Kicked to the Dust"

Marissa
Oakdale Middle School
Benton County, AR

The words that come out of my mouth seem to go in one ear and out the other.
Do you even hear me scream in pain when you push me, call me names?
Do you expect me to be sane?
Lockers are meant for books and work from our school.
Now they seem to be something less, just a torturing tool.
When you beat me, I feel useless.
You are going out of your mind.
What am I supposed to do, just be kind?
You make kids like us feel the need to run away
and when you try to apologize, we won’t listen to a word you say.
We ran and said “no” and tried to get away.
You are just a bad kid who swears and cusses,
we are the kids you kicked to the dust.
Rumors spread bringing us to tears.
You say we “Grind your gears?”
Think about your actions before you do them.
Emotional wrecks you made us.
We paid the price. You said we must.
Now how does it feel to be behind everyone you knew?
You will never know how we felt.
So this is the price you pay.
Now you are sent far, far away.
When you scream you’re sorry, we will be deaf to what you say.
When you scream in pain,
it will go in one ear and out the other.