Natalie Clyne - High School Names

Paranoid
Anorexic
Dancer
Russian
Smoker
Self-conscious
Geek
Tart
Fat


I bet you are confused by this
It wouldn’t surprise me
Only the children of this world
Can truly understand what this is

The boy down the street understands
The foreign exchange student understands
The popular girl understands
The smart boy next door understands

For most people do not know their names
Just the labels that they have been given
The labels that will stay with them
The labels that will make or break them

The ‘paranoid’ boy
Always thinking his friends are talking about him
Hearing silent whispers
Listening to the rumours that do not exist

The ‘anorexic’ girl
Who does not believe she is under weight
Starving herself every meal time
Hoping to get the perfect figure

The ‘dancer’ boy
Bullied for doing something he enjoys
Made to believe that there is something wrong with him
For having a hobby that does not involve football

The ‘Russian’ girl
Coming to a new school
And being isolated from everyone
Not being able to speak the language

The ‘smoker’ boy
Made to follow the trend by those closest to him
Everyday smoking more
And everyday killing a little bit more of his sole

The ‘self-conscious’ girl
Not wanting to wear a belt like skirt
Wanting to cover herself up
Scared about the way everyone sees her

The ‘geek’ boy
Picked on for being smart
For actually having some academic goals
For wanting to succeed

The ‘tart’ girl
Given a name that isn’t true
Just because she likes to go out
Pressurised into things by her friends

The ‘fat’ boy
Called all his life
For being different on the outside
But he’s the same on the inside as anyone else

High school names
Given to high school kids
These names can make the kids
Or break them.

Natalie Clyne

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/high-school-names/