As part of the FREE TO BE ME series, the Chatham-Kent Community Health Centres ran an anti-bullying expressive writing contest calling for youth ages 12-16 in our community to SPEAK UP!!!! We received 75 submissions from very talented individuals that were extremely empowering, inspiring, thought provoking and really sent the message that bullying continues to be a very serious problem happening right now, everyday. The Chatham-Kent Community Centres would like to thank all those who participated in addition to our the community judgment panel including Mary Duckworth (Enodmaagejig Social Services), Angela Corso (Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre) and Marcy Kennedy (writer and editor).
- 1ST Place: Jennifer Tuck, age 16, Tilbury District High School
Punctured, Bleeding and Broken
I’m punctured, bleeding and broken
And still this story stays unspoken
The hurt, the tears
So many wounds
I wish that it would be over soon
The words are like knives
Too many to dodge
Flying through the air, my heart they get lodged
The blood trickles down
One, two, three, four
One more hurt and I’m down on the floor
Crying and screaming
Needing to be heard
Just a girl with mixed feelings, nothing too absurd
“You can’t,” and “You won’t,”
These words push me down
I’m shoved farther and farther
Under the ground
They tell me I can’t
But they tell me lies
As I realize the truth,
My soul and spirit rise
I can and I will
I must conquer this fear
And all the other girls
I would like them to hear
You can stand tall
You can do anything
They tell you that your’re worthless
But listen to your heart sing
Don’t be discouraged
And please don’t give up
When your pushed down
Pick yourself back up
Even if you punctured, bleeding and broken,
The wounds will heal
And your story will be spoken
Some more from Jennifer:
“When I grow up I have a few things in mind and have not decided yet on what I want to be, but the ideas I have in mind are: to be a prosecution lawyer, a mental health nurse or a psychiatrist/ social worker.”
What message or piece of advice would you offer to our community and young people about ending bullying?
“ I would offer the advice for all the youth who get bullied that there is help out there, whether you turn to a friend, trusting adult or a journal or diary. The other piece of advice I would offer is this: get stubborn. To explain, being stubborn while being bullied is a valuable skill to have. If you are a stubborn person, then when someone yells you that you can’t do something, you automatically say they are wrong and believe you can. If someone teases you and says you are stupid or a loser then you can be stubborn and refuse to believe their derogatory comments. As a stubborn person I know I have never allowed myself to be bullied or pushed down by others words because I refuse to take what they are saying as truth or be knocked down by anything they say.”
Ms. Green’s grade 7 class at Winston Churchhill public school:
2nd Place: William Shepherd, age 12, Winston Churchill Public School
Blood and Tears
I wake up with the salty taste of my own blood in my mouth.
I look around and see dozens of people circling and staring at me.
I have put up with this for weeks, I’m sick and tired of this everyday.
I am scared to even go to school and face this bully.
I am a good student, always paid attention, taking notes.
I have been called a “nerd” since I started school.
I am afraid my grades will drop and I will flunk this year.
I barely made it last year.
I get up slowly, stiff from all the bruises.
My nose gushing blood; probably broken. Just like my life.
I push through the crowd and walk home.
I open the door as quiet as I can, making no noise so my mom doesn’t find me.
Her son, broken, bruised and bloody.
I look at myself in the mirror. My brown hair with specks of blood it it.
I sit in the bathroom on the floor, cleaning up my face and crying.
Crying , it seems like the only thing I do besides bleed these days.
I go to my room. Plunk on my bed, and try to sleep.
I feel broken inside, aching.
I feel like nothing in this world. Nothing at all.
-William Shepherd, age 12 –
Some more from William…
“I would like to be an accountant, meteorologist or teacher when I grow up”
“It feels good to get the message across about the painful reality of bullying”
3rd Place: Elisabeth Goodhue age 12, Winston Churchill Public School
Words
They had done it again, their words pierced her and left scars somewhere deeper than the skin.
She lifted her head from her knees, revealing to everyone the effect words can have.
Her tear-stricken skin was blotchy and red.
And, yet it was as if they could not see. Couldn’t they see what they had done to her?
And her crying, somehow her silent weeping was much harder to listen to than screaming.
And when they laughed, my heart sank. Their cruel, high pitched taunts rang through her ears.
And the rumors, they whispered words that reached every ear in the student body.
They were getting worse.
How could she take anymore?
One day I saw her crying. I asked her what was wrong. She said they had teased her again.
I was in shock, I thought by now they would see what they had done, but they didn’t.
She hadn’t been to school for a while.
I started to worry about her.
I remembered how we had spent the last summer together. She seemed so lively, so full of life.
Two weeks later her mother came to our school. She was crying, like her daughter had been.
So many unnoticed times. Only this time people were paying attention.
Her daughter would not be coming back to school, the bullies had finally broken what seemed like the strongest person I knew.
And then, because of guilt or some miraculous cause, the bullies understood.
They understood how the smallest words can hurt the most.
-Elisabeth Goodhue, age 12-
Some more from Elisabeth….
“I would like to be a drama teacher when I grow up.”
“There are resources in our community to get help for someone being bullied”
“What will it take for people to understand the effects of bullying?”
Some thoughts from Ms. Green’s grade 7 class at Winston Churchhill public school:
How are people different?
Wear glasses, disabilities, look different, come from a different culture, be a different colour, have a different religion, they might act or laugh differently, have a unique name, might speak with a studder, hair colour, where they live, level of income, weight”
How can we respect differences?
“Even though we’re different we might have something in common.”
“Put yourself in someone else’s shoes.”
“Try to understand good things about a person because they might have a nice personality.”
“Everybody is different, respect strengths and weaknesses.”
“Learning about personal experiences”
“Certain things affect people in different ways”
“Be a real friend”
“Be a part of the answer”
How can we help people who are bullies or being bullied?
“Talk to them”
“Communicate on how to be a friend.”
“People have emotions so treat them like a person not an object”
“If you are nice to them maybe they will be nice to you.”
“If someone needs help, help them.”
“Stick with people who are nice to you and those you trust.”
“Try to understand them.”
What message of piece of advice would you offer to our community and young people about ending bullying?
“Bullying doesn’t make you cool.”
“Don’t spread gossip.”
“Treat others how you want to be treated.”
“Respect privacy.”
“Have respect even if you don’t like something about them that’s different.”
“Think about walking in other people’s shoes”
“Get to know someone and don’t judge”
“Live the life you love, love the life you live”
