Small, shy and scared of the world

You were teased, humiliated, embarrassed

No one stood up for you, they just laughed along

With a bruised tear stained face you go home, crying yourself to sleep.

‘Why can’t I be normal?’ you cry,

The next day you ask yourself ‘is worth the pain?’

Days past and you keep asking yourself why you put up with the bullies

You hear of a girl who hung herself the next town over

Her bullies got away with it

No one stood up for her

You wonder if that will be you if it continues

‘Who will miss me?’ you ask at night

They pushed you against the lockers,

You cry in front of them praying they’d go away

They laugh even more at your tears

As they are about to hit you someone blocks them from your view

Red hair, the fiery tempered girl from Biology

She makes them go away, and then she turns to help you up

Her smile makes your day

 You just smile because she is real

You’ve never had someone stand up for you

It was a first

Eventually the bullies back off, no longer threatening you

The redhead is now a friend and not only in biology

A year passes, it has gotten better,

You have friends, you feel wanted

Those bullies pick on someone else now

Someone just like you used to be

Small, scared and shy

You make the choice and stand up for him

Like the redhead did for you

You get a black eye but you don’t regret it

The boy thanks you, he looks up to you

He thanks you for standing up when he couldn’t

You never realized what it meant to him to have someone there

He had no friends or family of his own,

You didn’t know that, but you stood up for him anyway

It made all the difference

Several years later your redheaded hero is your wife

And that little boy is your best friend,

Your kids play around the hospital room as you face another bully

You have medicine to help you fight

This time the bully took away your hair and your strength

You made it this far, standing up for others when no one would

It is time you stood up for yourself

You stand and take the pain, but you fight back

You stood up for yourself and you won the battle.

There will always be bullies

There will always be someone being teased

Be the change this world needs to end bullying

It is your turn to make a change in someone’s life

Stand up.