Maybe today would be the day
I’d get to come home early.
Perhaps the wolves would be kept at bay
And Death not hover so nearly.
Today is the day on which,
Hopefully, I get to have a say.
Sadly, it turned out to be a fable;
I was simply the “Girl with the funny gait”.
I could not even get a seat at the table,
Sneers, jeers, and boos heralded my presence.
No sanctuary for me. This was just
Another regular day rigged with hate!
How difficult could it be
Sending some love my way?
I imagine it wouldn’t cost a fee
To sprinkle albeit tiny pellets.
Yet for kindness, I constantly search
Like a needle in a stack of hay.
Shutters closed; souls impermeable.
To them, I was invisible
When it suited their thoughts;
Definitely no warmth behind their steely gazes
And every day brought a fresh chill.
It was a cold winter all year round!
Will I ever breathe again?
Life’s sea of loathing constantly choking.
Breathe I must
The fresh air of self-actualization!
Not some hollow being:
Much good lies at my core
Something burns brighter than hope;
Would you dare to reach out?
To see me for who I truly am…?
Allow me to re-introduce myself
I am Halima,
A human just like you.
*H-A-L-I-M-A is dedicated to all young ones who are or have been victims of bullying. I see you. I hear you.
