Her Heart

There are times when certain circumstances strike our hearts. If you remember I wrote a poem back in March about eighteen month old Saoirse Fitzgerald, who died from Neuroblastoma, Stage 4 Cancer (if you haven't gotten a chance to read the poem, you can find it here). It struck my heart so hard and I just remember crying. 

Yesterday night, I read of a young girl named Amanda Todd, who had taken her own life because she was a victim of non-stop bullying (whether it be at her school or on the internet)  just five weeks after posting a pleading video on YouTube.

If you haven't watched the video, I urge you to do so. Know the signs of severe depression & self-harm-- and if you or anyone you know is being bullied, seek help immediately! 

Behind the poem: I found myself unable to sleep last night, until I wrote this poem, titled "Her Heart" in Amanda Todd's honor. I hope we will continue to learn about the lasting effects that bullying and words can have on others. 

As her heart finally shattered into pieces on the floor,

she took her own life because she couldn’t do it anymore.

The words of other were too hurtful, too cruel—not deserved to

come in her direction—now her beauty was just a ghost of her reflection.

Because of her mistakes, she felt like there was nowhere else left to go.

Everyone she knew made her feel so alone. She was left to fight the demons

that ate away inside. She lost all her friends, her respect and every night

she cried.

The image that was intentionally shown around can never be erased.

But she didn’t deserve what happened and it took away all her grace.

She was kicked when she was down, left to fend for herself—

leaving nothing in their wake but an empty, unhappy shell.

She tried twice before to take away her precious life,

as the hurtful words never stopped.  She moved to another

city, and wanted nothing other than to move on.

Yet, the bullying continued and the tears would never dry,

which often left the question: why? Never escaping

the past that left her so depressed; eventually causing

her to be laid to rest.

So, listen up now! Think about if this is how you’d want to be treated.

Hurting so badly, you would crawl into a ditch: bruised, torn and bleeding.

This girl did, in her moment of despair—

Where were the friends she needed? There was nobody there.

Instead of having a friend, that could have made all the difference—

Are you the person who caused the life sentence?

When you shatter someone else’s world—

your conceited words can never be taken back.

Were you the hand that caused it?

Why didn’t you think of that?

You could have made a difference, but you turned the other cheek.

Do your words suddenly make you feel so weak?

They were once so powerful; caused so much despair.

If there is a next time for someone else: will you be there?