School is not paradise.
I dread going every day.
I still have hope that what I learn will be useful to me in the future.
At least my friends are here.
At least there’s no bully here.

P.E. is my favorite class,
Although I am very clumsy, I like it rough
And accidentally give myself many
Bruises and cuts.
It’s so much fun every day.

Lunchtime is the best of all,
My hung-over mother always gives me three dollars.
She doesn’t understand though,
My body is delicate, and I cannot afford
To eat so much.

I’d save the money, but
I spend it at the student store.
In addition to my clumsiness, I am forgetful,
Leaving my notebooks, pencils, pens, and paper
Somewhere not in the ‘Lost and Found’.

I do well on my tests.
I don’t turn in my homework.
It’s left somewhere I can’t remember.
(That’s my forgetfulness kicking in again).
I know I’m not the only one with an A, but what I do has to be enough.

The “smart” students next to me,
“Help out” when I don’t understand
The things they try to “teach” me.
They even give me many “special” nicknames,
And we share “secrets” that I can’t tell anyone.

At least there’s no bully here.
At least my friends are here.
Even if I am broken, I still have hope that things will look up.
Most importantly I have my writing, which is not secretly screaming
HELP ME!