Be it in class…
Be the joke…
Keep the bullies at bay…
While the insides burn away…
Only to be bandaged back at home…
But raised bumps and scabs take their toll…
Each reminds me of a memory…
So close to making those friends…
40 minutes of making fun…
All at my expense…
Only to see what they really meant…
See them walk away at a pace…
That lets me know my place…
Left with big smile on my face…
Until I turn away…
Just another day…
There lies the punchline…
All they see is this smile…
Not what I feel inside…
How each night I cry…
Bandaged but still in so much pain…
Calling out for someone to care…
How much more of this pain must I bare…?
Hear another knock…
Must be a parent or sibling…
Must maintain some semblance of being fine…
So I smile…
I’ll continue to smile…
As they continue to laugh…
For as long as I can…
Silent Scholar 
My heart goes out to you. I feel your pain because I’ve been there too- a victim of vicious and ritualistic bullying. This is such a powerful poem! Keep speaking out!