by Nick Gisburne
I smile and shrug, polite, “I’m doing fine,”
And watch them go their merry little way.
Their fantasies of friendship are not mine.
They trampled my emotions, every day.
Forget that we were young. Of course, we were,
But why was I the target of their scorn?
A snigger, or a whispered word, a slur.
I quickly learned the shame of being born.
Unhappy, hurt, I shied away from school,
Despising every moment I was there.
The pain of being shunned, a freak, a fool,
Is more than chance encounters can repair.
I’m fine, but I will never be their friend.
The damage won’t allow me to pretend.
