406th Weekly Poetry Contest winner: Obscure Bruises

by Ritikachourasia

Tall, skinny, wearing baggy clothes, all black,
Her head was adorned with a large bucket hat.
She tried hard not to be visible,
As she hung down her head.
From the lower half of her face,
You could see her lips quivering.
She gripped into the straps of her half-torn backpack,
As she entered the classroom, shivering.
Girls talking, boys yelling, shoes flying across the hall.
She flinched as she saw a boy cackling,
As he slammed his friend onto the wall.
She walked up the steps, staring into the void,
Wanting to reach her seat and sleep right away;
Barely did she notice, a foot got in her way.
As she tripped on the girl’s shoe,
She fell down to her knee.
With her eyes half blocked,
The ground was all she could see.
All the students were laughing like crazy.
As the tears pooled her eyes,
She felt her vision get hazy.
Without uttering a word, she went to her place.
She let her head fall onto the table;
She was tired of the shade.
Better known at school as the “depressed girl”,
She was bullied and had no place in this world.
Suffering from social anxiety,
Leaving home was a battle she fought every day.
People were the predators; she was the prey.
Her parents were long gone,
And she lived on a part time job.
All she could do when she got home,
Was to hug her knees and sob.
That day after lunch break started,
She was harassed yet again.
She dropped to the ground and clutched her head,
Whimpering from the pain.
As she saw the students laugh and walk away,
She decided she couldn’t take this anymore.
She took the flight of stairs leading to the rooftop,
As she pulled out the pocket knife she had in store.
At the thought of finally being free,
She felt giddy, and at the same time, cried.
She hated herself, and regretted the way she lived,
For all she could do was hide.
As she slit her wrist and bled half of herself,
Her legs gave up on her,
And her frail body dropped to the ground.
Her hair fell dishevelled on her face,
The hat on her head slipped sprawled away somewhere around
A smile crept onto her lips,
As her eyes closed shut and she finally heard no sound.
Students and teachers crowded the place,
As whispers rang into the air.
They all realized how beautiful she was,
When the wind swept out her hair.

See all the entrants to 406th Weekly Poetry Contest