Image by Ferran. via Flickr
Walking downcast into school each day,
No friendly faces meet you there.
Shy and forlorn and can’t connect
Even the teachers don’t have your back.
An open heart is being rejected.
An outstretched hand not met by one–
Circles of backs not letting you in.
Up-turned noses looking down at you,
The isolation is overwhelming
And the awkwardness too.
Scowling glances meet your gaze,
Ridicule and mockery and snickers of hate,
Greet you daily; it’s too much to take.
Home life is stressful, there’s not much money;
Dad’s an alcoholic and Mom’s emotionally vacated.
Who is there to share the pain?
No one notices the burden,
The agony carried–
Day after day and year after year.
Dejected, despondent, hopeless and desperate,
Abandoned, forsaken, deserted and desolate.
Bodhirose's Blog 
Tamasin McGregor
/ November 11, 2010brilliant, pulled it out of the bag again!
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Bodhirose
/ November 11, 2010Thanks Tamasin. It’s a sad situation isn’t it.
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trisha
/ November 11, 2010This is fabulous gayle. You painted the pain perfectly. Anyone who has faced this rejection will feel it from heart.
Its so sad that we often walk away from the persons who desperately need love.
Thanks for putting up the new posts, i was dying of thirst.
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Bodhirose
/ November 11, 2010I’m glad you appreciate this poem, Trisha. It’s very sad when people are treated this way and feel rejected by others–especially children.
I worked on these yesterday because I knew you were dying of thirst. 🙂
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trisha
/ November 12, 2010adutls can sometimes cope with it, but chidren are so tender that it makes their lives hell.
this is the time when adults should interfere, teach their kids to treat everyone with love as long as they can.
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Bodhirose
/ November 12, 2010Yes, parents or some adult should interfere but so many times parents are too dysfunctional themselves and teachers don’t even notice or don’t want to get involved. It’s very sad and can impact someone for their entire life. xoxo
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trisha
/ November 13, 2010whereas both of these categories are supposed to play a very substantial role in building a child’s character or nature.
when both fail, the child strays.
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Bodhirose
/ November 13, 2010It’s too easy for people to overlook these children who don’t have anyone in their lives to help them cope with the sadness and isolation.
This is one way in which drugs and/or alcohol can be used to numb the pain. Then you have a whole other set of problems to deal with.
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trisha
/ November 15, 2010It really hurts to think that these boys and girls crave for companionship, guidance and get none. ultimately they wander away in darkness and then the society all of a sudden starts to note them with contempt.
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Bodhirose
/ November 15, 2010It’s a very sad and lonely existence.
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Trisha
/ November 17, 2010I have seen and heard about people who were crushed by loneliness, fortunately i am not one of them but as i have realized how boring that life can be its very easy for me to feel their fear and pain.
its just not the right way to treat an innocent fellow human being.
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Bodhirose
/ November 17, 2010No, no one should be treated that harshly.
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trisha
/ November 19, 2010until and unless he/she really, really provoked others to shun him/her. like hitler did 🙂
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Bodhirose
/ November 23, 2010I totally agree with that! 🙂
I’m home!
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2zpoint
/ November 11, 2010The saddest thing is that this is something that can be averted with a little love. Peace be with your heart…these things do happen often.
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Bodhirose
/ November 11, 2010Just the smallest kindness paid can make such a difference in someone’s life. My wish is that no one feel this pain.
Thanks for your nice comments here today, 2zpoint.
Peace.
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soulbro*
/ November 11, 2010WOW my Dearest Bodhirose…this is a great short story…is this a true one that you know about?…pain with self realization, as this is how my life seems with no father in our life and being scorned until this was realized in February 2007 to be put on my Awakened path…thanks for sharing this post(+)
soulbro* 🙂 xo–{–@
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Bodhirose
/ November 11, 2010I experienced some of this but it wasn’t to this extent. My father was an alcoholic and my mother dis-connected so there is some truth to this little “story”.
Thanks for enjoying my writing.
xoxo
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Jamie Dedes
/ November 12, 2010Beautifully moving poem on a sad subject. Well done, Gayle. You touched the heart of the experience. Thank you. Kudos to you.
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Bodhirose
/ November 12, 2010Thank you, Jamie, for your generous comments. Sadly, I think probably most people have been “shunned” at some point in their lives. It’s so heartbreaking.
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fiveloaf
/ November 15, 2010lovely bodhirose..
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Bodhirose
/ November 15, 2010Thanks so much, Fiveloaf.
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ljm (Amias)
/ November 15, 2010A very good definition of the word “outcast”.
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Bodhirose
/ November 15, 2010I appreciate your compliment, Amias. Thank you for coming by.
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Jingle
/ November 15, 2010the last few words evoke so powerful emotions.
beautiful poem,
Thanks for sharing it with potluck poetry.
Have fun reading!
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Bodhirose
/ November 15, 2010Thanks so much, Jingle and I’m happy to share. I’ll enjoy reading too.
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A.B. Thomas
/ November 15, 2010Such darkness on the tapestry of human existence – wonderfully written!
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Bodhirose
/ November 15, 2010Unfortunately, there’s a lot of darkness that goes along with this human existence.
Thanks so much for your kind compliment, A.B.; I appreciate it.
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industrialarts
/ November 15, 2010took me straight back to grade school. excellent job!
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Bodhirose
/ November 15, 2010Thanks so much for your visit and comment. School was a real challenge for me–I’m glad I survived!
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dasuntoucha
/ November 15, 2010Felt this…deeply.
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Bodhirose
/ November 15, 2010I sure appreciate you sharing that with me.
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The Reason You Come
/ November 15, 2010That’s sad, and definitely too much for a kid to take, when both school life and home life are miserable. I know that what’s even more sad is that there are many children who have to deal with this in real life.
I like that this is a poem that serves as a social commentary at the same time.
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Bodhirose
/ November 15, 2010You’re so right. It’s way too much for a kid to take–it was difficult.
Because so many can relate to this as something that happened in their life–I knew it would “hit a nerve” so to speak. Thanks for your comment today.
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Shashi
/ November 16, 2010Dear Gayle
I could feel the pain and frustration here in your words.. I am glad that you write.. .. and you write so beautifully from heart… Thanks for sharing…
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
Twitter: @VerseEveryDay
Blog: http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com
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Bodhirose
/ November 16, 2010Thank you, Shashi, for your very lovely compliment. That’s usually the place I go to when I want to write something–my heart.
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Olivia
/ November 16, 2010Gayle My Dear- Hugs..
I identify with parts of it.. I know who it is about but I felt was just my story..
My dad wasn’t much of a boozer but had abandoned us when I was 12.. rest the story is same.. I changed one school and went to another.. and became a complete loner..!!
Precisely that is why I have hunted each one of them (on FB and made all efforts to know them and even meet them), it was none of their fault to have reacted towards some one like me.. they too have responded well.. 🙂
Very well expressed and crafted..
Regards and Love xoxoxox
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Bodhirose
/ November 16, 2010Hugs to you too, Olivia. What a great thing that you did–making an effort to track down your school mates to know them. That could be very healing for you–I hope it was.
Thanks so much for your kind words for me.
Love and hugs…
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hedgewitch
/ November 16, 2010Nice use of repetition to drone home the isolation and pain…”emotionally vacated…” is excellent and vivid, and it’s all a story that needs to told.
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Bodhirose
/ November 16, 2010I so appreciate your comments, Hedgewitch. Thanks for your visit.
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700miles
/ November 16, 2010what a lonely feeling, excellently written. well done!
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Bodhirose
/ November 16, 2010Thanks so much for your comment and wonderful compliment. I appreciate it.
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Kavita
/ November 16, 2010That was quite an intense form of expression… but done with grace too!
A marvelously written sad piece…
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Bodhirose
/ November 16, 2010Thank you, Kavita. An intense situation deserves equally intense description. I appreciate your generous compliment for my writing.
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