{"sf1_id":689541,"sf2_id":"k1VBWq01","title":"How Many?","author":"ShingetsuMoon","words":318,"posted_at":"2014-04-06T19:08:00.000Z","tags":["Poem","Poetry","Self Harm","bullying"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/689541-how-many","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/k1VBWq01","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/8d/1e/8d1ef747-5c84-4b36-8067-4f65d78a90c3","description":"#5 of National Poetry Writing Month\n\nAnother poem for National Poetry Month. This one is about bulling.","content":"* * *\n\nHave you ever been told something  \nthat you knew wasn't true? Had the  \nwords spat at you with hatred and  \nviolence?\n\nYou're ugly.  \nFat.  \nWorthless.  \nNo one likes you.  \nYou'll never have any friends.  \nNo one would miss you.  \nYou don't belong here.\n\nHow many times have we told  \nourselves it wasn't true? Told  \nourselves that they were lying.  \nJealous. Angry. Bored. Mean.  \nAnything other then telling  \nthe truth about us.\n\nWe pretend to ignore their  \ncomments and tell ourselves  \nit doesn't bother us. Doesn't get  \nto us. Doesn't affect us. We're better  \nthen that. They don't know us.  \nDon't let the bullies win.\n\nHow many times do we tell ourselves  \nthat with tears in our eyes?\n\nHow many times do we choke out  \nthose words while a razor is pressed  \nup against our veins?\n\nHow many times do we pretend they  \ndon't matter while numbing the pain  \nwith a bottle to our lips?\n\nTheir words beat down on us for  \nso long that we finally accept them  \nas fact. We don't dispute their words  \nor try to argue otherwise.\n\nWe accept the pain they  \nhave caused despite the  \nwords of our loved ones  \ntelling us otherwise.\n\nWe drive ourselves to insanity  \nwith their lies. Still living in  \nthe past while they move on  \nwithout us.\n\nWe tell ourselves not to listen  \ninstead of doing something about  \nit. We tell others it isn't true while  \nleaving them to sit in anguish.\n\nKids will be kids.  \nIt's nothing serious.  \nYou know it's not true.  \nIgnore them and they'll go away.  \nIt's only words.  \nJust deal with it.\n\nHow many have to hang themselves  \nbefore we realize that \"deal with it\"  \njust isn't good enough?\n\nHow many will try to carve the  \npain out of their arms before we  \naccept their feelings as real?\n\nHow many have to die before  \nwe realize that we aren't doing enough?\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"National Poetry Writing Month","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/689536-edge-of-eternity.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/689607-white-wraith.json"}}