A Hope to the Hopeless

Today, I decided to post a poem that I wrote for a contest called a "Bully Slam." Several schools competed in poetry, essay, fiction, song, dance, and videography all against bullying in our schools.  The winners read or performed their pieces for parents and teachers (there were probably about 200 people there).  I was really excited to find out that I placed first in High School poetry.  So, here it is :)

I am surrounded by a prison of fear.

Rejection and intimidation reign supreme.

All I want to do is disappear,

Hide in my cave, do nothing but scream.

Nothing is certain; everything is pain,

I think today is the day to wake up from the dream,

I can keep hidden no more, I cannot be contained.

And yet, all I can do is I hide in my cave and do nothing but scream.

If only someone would see me in my pain,

Someone to go against the flow;

Someone to notice and break the chain,

That holds me thus in the status quo.

It took only a word of encouragement,

An understanding glance

To realize that this was something more than utter abandonment,

Something more than living stagnant.

A burst of sunlight shines through the iron grate,

There is a life beyond my prison and cave,

A time to do more than leave it up to fate,

Finally, now is the time to be brave.

This new life, how can I explain?

My prison is demolished, my soul is set free.

There is no reason to go back to the pain,

To go back to the time when all I wanted was to flee.

All I can do now is live in utter joy,

For there is Someone who is willing to save me.

And life I am finally free to enjoy.

This way is much better, and I think you would agree.

One last word to add in closing,

Is you can be that hope to the hopeless.

You can be the sun that is rising.

The question is, will you choose to be all this on your campus?