Stones

So many stones rocketing through the air
Cutting so deep into my skin like the
Sharpest razor
My clothes, drenched in crimson red
Bound by cruel words that shattered

Just wanted to fit it, to be "cool" like the rest
So tired of being tossed around, and
Used as the proverbial punching bag
Beaten down to the core, my books in the mud

Rolling tears, when no one was around
Preying on the forgotten one
That’s what these bullies did to me
Delighting in puncturing my shredded self-esteem

It was a game to them, and I was their pawn
How I wanted to only fit in
To be left alone for just one day
To be looked at as one of the guys
One of the "cool" kids, to be considered "in"

Not to be all alone at lunch
It took me a while to crawl from the quicksand
That smothered me, a boy of just fourteen
I wasn’t a loser, but I didn’t know that

As years passed, I have found peace
I’ve never been a loser, and that’s the truth
But, I can still feel the depression left by
Those stinging stones
In every kid I see being bullied on the playground

So many kids, just like me, only wanting to fit in
I’ve walked a mile or two in their shoes
I know how it hurts to be struck by stones
I can see it welling up in their eyes
One thing I know now, I was never alone

If you’ve been bullied, these words will ring true
Sticks and stones do bring us torment, and
Words can, too
But, trust me when I say this
You are never alone, so lift yourself up, and
Be counted with the rest

You are not a loser
I know this to be true
You are a winner, and that’s the honest truth
There was a time that I was a bully, too