Be the Weird One
Ireland has a culture,
Everyone’s the same,
Same GAA jerseys, same tracksuits,
The only thing that differs is our name,
But behind all of this,
Behind the walls we have built all around us,
Is all of our pent up shame,
The shame to be different,
The shame of being “weird”,
I implore you,
Be the weird one,
For the sake of your actual self,
Don’t lock your true self at the very tippy top of the shelf.
The Brave in You
Walking alone, with men around,
Sometimes the silence feels like a sound.
Fear can creep, but hold your ground,
Your strength and voice are truly profound.
Remember, your safety comes first,
Trust your heart when fears burst.
Walk with courage, steady and true,
The world respects the brave in you.
Shine
You are a creature of habit,
You walk into the dressing room,
Same chatter same banter,
same jersey same boots ,
same coaches same teamamtes.
Something is different
Someone is different.
You are not a creature of habit anymore,
not a doormat
not a pushover
not a benchwarmer
You are You
The girl who dreams of starting,
The girl who is hungry to prove those who have walked over her for years.
Dreams are met, Minds are set.
You open your mouth, You stand out
For once you stand out
Eyes are on you
and you shine.
Ribs
I trudge through the world wrapped in dreams for a girl I don’t know.
They’d fit her just fine, but they’re too tight on me
So they chafe my skin and leave it raw and blistered.
Tug, and pull, but it just won’t come off, so I wait
Patience is a virtue, good things come to those who wait.
So I wait, but it’s been years now and the bonds have barely loosened;
not because I’ve waited, but because I’ve clawed at them like a cat stuck in a dumpster.
These restraints bruise my ribs, and scald my soul.
My patience wears thin, but it’s worth it,
Because one day I’ll go out into the world, ropes in hand, and take a breath so deep that the trees will sway, the flowers will turn to listen,
And wind will sing in reply and call me by my name.
Paragraphs
Can you not use your own words?
We’ve been friends for years.
Now you send me AI paragraphs.
Now we’re not friends anymore.
Fear
When your walking alone at night as a girl,
you are always on edge.
Waiting for the figure behind you to catch up,
waiting for the whistle to come from his filthy mouth
or for the horn to sound from the passing by car
that has started to slow as it passes you.
The fear always follows you.
Lurking over your shoulder like the hand print will always be there.
Walking Down the Street at Night
Walking down the street at night,
Anxious while staring at the lamp post light.
Hearing noises behind my head,
While hoping all the danger has fled.
I shouldn’t be worried, I know that I’m safe.
But I’m also still looking for an escape.
Dog
I was asked why i loved my dog
and i told them have they ever been stuck in fog
they laugh as they reply I dunno, probably, why?
I ask them could they see and they answer
barely still giggling now if only they would understand
Its not my fault I love my dog, but it doesn’t have much to do about fog
My dog cant talk all he does is walk
My dog sees me cry and doesn’t ask why
He acts normal, he acts like he cares
because under all that fur i know its actually him there
I love my dog, and i don’t know why i wrote about fog.
Doors
A door once open is now closed
Another opportunity left unopened
Confidence is locked away
leaving opportunity’s waiting
to be opened by someone new.
The thing is it could’ve been you
And it could’ve been a new you
A fear that was once so near could be so clear
And make you hear the new doors waiting to be opened.
Irish Dancing
I love to dance, tap tap tap,
Feet move fast, clap clap clap
Jump and spin, feel the beat,
Happy music in my feet.
I smile wide as I go,
Fast or slow, I love it so.
To Miss
To miss is a funny term,
Is it longing for, or something else;
To long for something is to yearn
to miss gives me a funny sense,
of something I will never understand.
Is to miss simply looking back
on an opportunity passed,
or is it something more
something I lack.
Is to yearn for missing a thing?
Is to miss something we never had
even a thing, or just a fad.
Well maybe I feel that, just a tad.
The Bedroom Girl
The one always in their room
The one always on their own
Silent as a mouse in such a loud house
A sanctuary from the world around
That what she felt when people asked her,
Why?
Why do you not come?
She never said why, never the truth
Too many questions she didn’t have the answers to
So it was easer to just say…
Why not?
Time Flows
Time flows as fast as river to the sea,
Life passes by like lightning,
Life is the weather that you can’t predict,
Slow when it comes, fast when it passes,
Sometimes I wish it would slow down for me.
From day to day, the race never ends,
the speed not pre determined
the wind races by, but the trees stand still,
time never ends and neither does life.
Days
Wake up each day, say hey,
Go to school, great,
Class can be boring, but sometimes good,
Knowledge is power,
So we learn,
At home I eat dinner,
I chat, I breathe,
Some evenings I have activities,
Take time to look at social media,
Maybe some television,
At the end it’s always bed,
Goodnight.
Caged
I am a fish inside a bird cage.
I am unable to breathe.
These walls are not walls;
They have spaces in between,
but I am unable to escape. I have no wings.
The rusted bars mock my very existence, taunting my torso;
barren of feathers that my cage-mates have in abundance.
My body is dry. I cannot live like this.
The voices of the birds rise and fall in rhythm beside me.
I want to join in, but I can’t.
My voice will not work like theirs.
Hey sing and shout without a care in the world, but I cannot hear them.
My throat scratches me. It will not allow me to speak.
World of Strangers
Across the breeze and the pavement
little hands, little feet ambling
Body stubby and small,
Mind of innocence and ignorance.
to a world of filth and blood.
My body flowers with age
Legs rising along the trees
my feminity blossoms despite young age
as soft glares become daggers
they glower and ogle
as my hands rise to cover my body
ashamed and in fear of the world of strangers.
Belong
Whose am I is a question I ask
Do I belong to my parents, teachers or sibilings?
At school I feel like I’m wearing a mask
But then I start fiddling
opening and learning about my creator
The One who knit me together
and I realise I am loved.
Too Fast
As I walk through the street I notice the little girl who
looks just like what I looked like when I was young ,
Oh I wonder if i was so innocent again would I be able to change
the things and feelings that made me grow up too fast
Only Child
I am an only child.
a room to myself,
three plates per shelf
Only I come from a family of six.
With three older siblings, it should be a full house
But none of them live at home
Sometimes when the house is quiet like a mouse and there is nobody around,
I can’t help but to think about the childhood they had
and they bond the made together
so yes I have three siblings
But really, I’m an only child.
Leave or Stay
Leave or stay,
Don’t know what way
Whole new me
Or do I be
The same girl I’ve been for the last four years.
New friends made, I don’t want to go
Old memories the highs and lows
Made my decision but I don’t know
Leave or stay.
Shine
You are a creature of habit,
You walk into the dressing room,
Same chatter same banter,
same jersey same boots ,
same coaches same teamamtes.
Something is different
Someone is different.
You are not a creature of habit anymore,
not a doormat
not a pushover
not a benchwarmer
You are You
The girl who dreams of starting,
The girl who is hungry to prove those who have walked over her for years.
Dreams are met, Minds are set.
You open your mouth, You stand out
For once you stand out
Eyes are on you
and you shine.
Your Place
You can feel every sound,
Smell every note,
See every key,
Taste every movement.
Like an enchanted land.
The relaxing bliss of each sound.
This was better than silence.
The air tasted of electricity.
The piano glowed like from heaven.
Calling you each time.
You can’t resist its smile.
From high to low,
No matter the pace, it will always be your place.
Expectations
Seven instruments, seven junior cert distinctions,
Seven hours sleep but silent.
Nothing compares to the pain
of hatred from a close family member.
I read and play and study repeat,
but nothing has ever gotten more than a “not bad”.
I always think it could be worse, I’m being dramatic.
But I always wonder why my best just can’t meet his expectations.
Alone
I love nature but hate going out
I love school but hate doing work
I love my friends but prefer my family
I love spending time with family but prefer being alone.
The Wonder of Baking
Every thought I make
The more I want to bake.
The thought of stress
I I try something new and it’s a mess
The mixing of the butter
Suddenly makes me flutter.
As the icing runs low
My thoughts seem to go
The cupcakes now iced
But my thoughts are still sliced
You
When you hear boys laugh in a hallway,
you know it’s never good,
they say things out loud,
to look cool in a crowd
They say words like ‘slut’
like it doesn’t hurt
like it’s just a joke
like it doesn’t work,
But the words always stay inside,
and they don’t go away,
they just sit in your heart
at the end of the day
A name is just a word
it’s not what’s true
and no one should get to decide what you are
but you.
Salt
Dear salt, you have no fault
I wish i could store you in a vault
You taste so good with vinegar even malt
Imagine a world without salt
My heart would simply halt
My love for this seasoning is violent as assault.
Bed
Every morning i wake,
To choose on the decision i make
Some are bad and good but every one of them have a way
to show what path I’ll take.
no matter which one i make,
more opportunities will either come or fade
so no matter the day you wake it will never be a waste.
Never Safe
I hate walking at night, no matter if i’m alone or not I just never feel safe. Every time I pass a man I speed up or cross the road, I avoid eye contact and try to make myself seem as big as possible
to not feel or look vulnerable.
Each time I feel them stare I tense and hope that this time they won’t turn around and yell something or follow me or ask questions I feel uncomfortable answering.
I hate how it doesn’t only happen when I’m alone or at night. It happens when I’m with my friends walking to the shop in the morning. It happens on my way to school. It happens when I think I’m safe but clearly I never fully am.
The Page
Just a paradise to get away
pen in hand music will play,
Precious memories illustrated on a perfect canvas
full of life mine to keep.
Colours dance on the page, mind relaxes, anxiety fades.
Strong Enough
Not good enough
Not pretty enough
Not funny enough
Not smart enough
Not strong enough
We fear to talk about this, but look who’s strong enough now.
We can do what ye do equally as good.
We are strong smart funny and pretty enough because we aren’t doing it for you or anyone other than our self.
So we are strong enough, strong enough to talk about things, strong enough to be open about this,
Because it’s not to impress you, at all, so don’t have an opinion on us.
Windows
You can’t see through a door, but you can a window.
Your inner self can be seen and your reflection gleam,
but once covered in steam it may become unclear.
Once opened to allow air, the covering will disappear,
once this happens we must cheer and applaud,
for once we can see clear again we see no fraud.
Be You
Sometimes ‘hey girl!’ isn’t as friendly as you think,
Should we really feel a bit nervous when we see a boy wink?
Always remember you can’t be everyone’s cup of tea,
Can’t look like an imaginary girl that lads want to see.
Stop criticising yourself for being too loud, to chatty, or wanting to do well,
Somehow, somewhere you will find the Beast to your Belle.
Now stop being afraid to be you,
Please, let your true colours shine through.
My Life
Driving skiing flying
Could be my life
I’m still thinking
Why is this not my life.
School and study are still important
Don’t know why this is
But for now it still is.
Open Doors
The door I had a passion about is not closing, but the other side is getting darker. I know the door is there and I’m keeping the door open but for some reason, the image on the other side is fading away.
Do I walk through?
Do I stay on this side and keep wondering?
Is it really dark, or have I not reached the bright side of it yet.
I’m too eager to close the door, but too afraid to walk through.
I feel safe standing from a distance with the door open but determined to figure out what’s out there.
On Stage
They say theatre is weird
all the costumes, the acting, the pretending.
But really it’s not.
It’s just people telling stories and trying to be understood.
We act every day just in quieter ways
On stage it’s louder, clearer and harder to ignore
So it’s not weird just another way of being real.