Home

Scars

by Trent Kirkpatrick

He would pelt me with rocks on the school bus.
And spit at me and kick me because
I was younger and smaller and
Such an easy mark.

In the store today
I saw, on a coin-filled container,
That he had died of some sort of cancer
At the age of 22.
Donations were being accepted for medical costs.

Even with his grieving family in mind,
I could not force myself to slide any sort of
spare change or
pity
into the jar
with his handsome
senior picture
on it.

11/12/2005

Author's Note: It's hard to know how to feel about things like this.

Posted on 11/12/2005
Copyright © 2010 Trent Kirkpatrick

Member Comments on this Poem
Posted by Laura Doom on 11/14/05 at 06:37 PM

Yeh - I agree, there's no 'right' or 'wrong' with feelings, and however they played out, the value of their expression here cannot be diminished. A powerful 'moral dilemma'.

Posted by Chris Sorrenti on 11/15/05 at 10:23 AM

Excellent capture of the bully issue, then the rest of the poem unexpectedly and nicely stretching deeper, reminding us that Life is full of irony. Well done!

Posted by Gregory O'Neill on 11/15/05 at 04:26 PM

Much is wrapped up in this very accessible poem. It's not easy to capture an instant like this. It's well perserved here in your well chosen words.

Posted by Michele Schottelkorb on 11/15/05 at 08:57 PM

whoa... my husband pointed me to this poem (he reads from off site) and i'm sitting here, mouth agape, wondering exactly what i would do... brilliant work... blessings...

Posted by Holly H Dunne on 07/28/06 at 05:06 PM

wow the most thought provoking poem i've read in a very long time. brilliant!

Posted by Abby Cossins on 08/25/08 at 06:33 AM

I can understand this, but then again you can hate someone without wishing ill on them. Great poem though, well done! x

Return to the Previous Page
 

pathetic.org Version 7.3.1 May 2004 Terms and Conditions of Use 2 member(s) and 16 visitor(s) online
All works Copyright © 2010 their respective authors. Page Generated In 0 Second(s)