Them

• Lena Benbatta, Grade 8
• Poetry
• 2019

Throughout the wide expanse of our earth, many voices young and old go unheard
They cry out of helplessness and despair, they wish to tell of stories of how they fare
They whisper of bullies which cause them to weep
They speak of racist slurs which pile up against them in a heap
they tremble of religious put downs which cut so deep
They shed tears because of the racist remarks which in their hearts they keep
They suffer relentless battles though the scars are hidden from your sight
They smile at you through the day and joke around at night
But below that long piercing slippery glance
Is a soul willing to take any chance
To get help and tell people though they don't know how, without showing their rip
Sometimes they crack in front of you and their cover for a second might slip
And other times they come and confide in you but you just shake it off
Not realising that you could've been their last hope, their last shot at life
When they go, you then see the error in your ways and vow not to let it happen again
But writing this now i'm here to say, that we are still their bleeding and broken and we need you to help us find our way