It may be thought that sticks and stones can break bones,

But words won't hurt.

That's a hoax,

Because there are words that are thought up

In the brains clouded with vile opinions, or judgmental thoughts,

Words that become weapons of mass destruction,

Taking down anyone that is in their way.

If a person is shot down, and no one knows,

Does that person feel anything?

 

There are kids out there,

who hold these weapons,

And decide to target the innocent but flawed,

 

They target the one who is

ten pounds overweight,

Or has scars running up their arms,

Or is in love with someone of the same sex,

Or the one who is physically impaired,

Or doesn't have the looks to be admired, noticed

Or maybe the one who made a mistake, but don't we all?

Or the one who sits alone at a lunch table, because rumors flew,

Rumors that are so false, but can never be erased. Not even by the truth,

Or the one who is downright magnificent but the people

who are so closed minded and seething with jealousy or selfishness,

Knocks them down, into a puddle of shame, calling them

Ugly, fat, nerd, cripple, cutter, fag, prude, loner,

freak,

 

And what the "freaks" were told by others,

Is what they have come to know as their fatal flaws,

And it's what they think they truly are.

Imperfections.

Then, they'll want to change, so they can get one step closer

To what our society has deemed the image of perfect,

Or pretty,

Or maybe just normal.

 

But the hate never stops, even if they change,

Because the people know nothing better but to criticize, 

They call them fake, anorexic, whore, poser, weirdo, stupid, loser, gross,

Freak.

 

all they want to be is happy.

Happy in their own skin,

Happy about who they are.

 

But they can't because of a collection of words,

That have flown around them,

Never leaving them alone, never ceasing to haunt them,

And the others are so quick to judge,

Or so quick to believe what they hear,

That they just do nothing at all to stop it.

And they are just as bad as the ones who

Shot the words out of their mouths.

 

One sad fact of it all is that

Some of those kids could turn to violence,

Either harming themselves or harming others,

Because of all the darkness in their minds that is

Slowly breaking what is left of their sanity.

Why aren't they good enough?

Why can't they just be accepted?

Even as they grow up,

there will still be a reminder-

a held down replay in their mind.

 

How can we make it stop?

 

If you don't know,

Words, even though they are 'just words',

They are there, they are heard, they are understood,

And they do hurt.

Yes, I understand that your mind will not be completely pure,

I admit, I have said things that I regret,

And you will think something judgmental about another person.

It's inevitable.

They may run through your mind all the time.

It may be uncontrollable,

but you can control what comes out of your mouth.

So keep your thoughts to yourself,

Because you don’t know what your thoughts

can do to someone else.

There are things that are not our choice,

Like our hair color or eye color,

We all have brains that produce different thoughts,

We all have a voice, even if it's communication through our hands,

That was not our choice.

But how it's all used, whether for good or for bad,

That is entirely your decision.

 

Now, to those getting pushed down,

Just know that they are wrong.

And there is no such thing as perfect, or normal,

It's not a virtue to want be society's "normal"

Our society has just decided that being normal

meant being the same as everyone else,

And that is not normal at all.

 

Normal is having a flaw, or two, or ten

Normal is being different from everyone else,

And having different feelings everyday,

Normality doesn't exist in a society.

Each individual has their different normal.

 

And if you're getting attacked,

every word slicing your skin

leaving wounds that you have to work to hide,

as you wait for the moment when everything will 

stop,

Talk to someone,

There are people who will listen,

There are people who care,

There are people who will miss you if you go.

It may not seem like that now,

In the darkest point of time,

But they are there.

Let the poison become a medicine

and use your voice,

your words, 

to save yourself.

 

And yes, sometimes, to be completely honest,

Other people may not be about to help you,

So you have to climb your way out of the hole

You’ve been shoved and become greater

Then anyone could have ever imagined.

And it's ok to be sad right now,

And it's ok to not be ok,

But know that

You are awesome,

I hope that will be your normal.

Or just not normal at all.

In fact, never be "normal".

Be ten times more than that. 

And I hope one day you will be happy,

Because that is when you are the most beautiful.