Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Bullying



Bars & Melody



“Perhaps it is only human nature to inflict suffering on anything that 
will endure suffering, whether by reason of its genuine humility, 
or indifference, or sheer helplessness.” 
― Honoré de BalzacPère Goriot

"To me, that's what bullying is, showing off. It's saying, I'm better than you, 
I can take you down. Not just physically, but emotionally.” 
― Whoopi Goldberg, Is It Just Me?: Or is it nuts out there?



Midweek Motif ~ Bullying


What would it take to stop bullying? To keep it from escalating to destruction? To endure and survive it if it cannot be changed?  

Your challenge: In a new poem, put yourself in the position of bullied, bully, ally or observer.  Bring awareness to the nature of bullying and/or the solution.


The Moral Bully 

by Oliver Wendell Holmes

YON whey-faced brother, who delights to wear
A weedy flux of ill-conditioned hair,
Seems of the sort that in a crowded place
One elbows freely into smallest space;
A timid creature, lax of knee and hip,
Whom small disturbance whitens round the lip;
One of those harmless spectacled machines,
. . . . 

(Read the rest HERE at PoemHunter.com)


28 comments:

  1. Thank you for the prompt - i think we may have taken a sideways route (again) - and certainly don't advocate the 'solution' suggested!

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    1. Sideways routes are one way to get there, Jae, and that's the way I've chosen to deal with the prompt. A good Wednesday to you, and to all poets who tackle this tough theme!

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    2. I think we should have both a beer and a frothy coffee - yes good Wednesday to all

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  2. Good morning, Poets United! I'm trying to decide whether to post the one I wrote yesterday or to write a new one. It's a grey day here, the kind of day writing a new poem in would be a comfort. And bullies should be punished with poetry, I think.

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    Replies
    1. I settled for revision and adding an illustration. Looking forward to a day and more of poetry.

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  3. Hey everyone,

    Hope you are having an amazing day so far; sharing my poem "Blitz" which describes the time I went through bullying. Thank you Susan for the wonderful opportunity to share our feelings..!

    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

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    Replies
    1. You are very welcome, Sanaa. That's what poetry is for, that and more.

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  4. Wish, I never knew, what it means, to be subjected, to bullying, but, sadly, I do, from an early age. My poem is about the side-effects that bullying can have one's mental and physical health.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Therisa, for your powerful witness.

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  5. This topic always takes me back to my friend in high school, Marcel, so I have revisited that time again. As always, it makes me very sad. Therisa, I know some of what you have been through, from watching my friend's life.

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    1. I share your sadness and sense of helplessness.

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  6. p.s. Bars and Melody always make me cry. So talented.

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  7. Just to clarify, the original title of my poem was:"I SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN THIS LONG AGO IN HOPES YOU MIGHT SEE IT AND STILL BE HERE" It got shortened, which I have no problem with, but the longer title explains who I was thinking of:those poor, confused teenagers in the news over the past few years who took their lives due to the unrelenting and mindless cruelty of some of their peers.

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    Replies
    1. I am so sorry, Timoteo! I mistook the first line for the title. Thank you for drawing my attention to it so I could fix it.

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    2. It's I who should apologise for citing it incorrectly in 'I Wish I'd Written This'. I saw the poem first on facebook rather than Tim's blog, and evidently misread the way it was presented there. I'll correct it on 'I Wish' too – a bit belated, but we should have it right for posterity!

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  8. Hi everyone, I'm taking a break from Midweek Motif for a while as life is rather complex and busy for me presently. I hope to be back soon.
    Keep well and write on!

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    Replies
    1. Stay well yourself, Nicholas. Remember when you feel crunched that a poetic line here and there can restore your spirit.

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  9. Very powerful and poignant views today. Despite the tough subject matter, every piece has seemingly captured the elements.

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    1. True. I hope some more poems trickle in. I think school teachers often have students write about bullying, but poems by adults are rare. To me, Bullying, whether we use the word or not, is a kind of terrorism--out in the open and sanctioned like war. Thank you, Luk Lei.

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  10. Good day, everyone! I am a bit late this week, but I will catch up with others. Have a good week, and don't forget to think about a poem to share for Poetry Pantry this Sunday.

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  11. Susan,

    I am so pleased to have linked this poem to Midweek Motif. I have been absent too long and am delighted to be back again.
    I shall visit to comment tomorrow.
    Eileen

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  12. Thank you for an excellent prompt Susan, a prompt that made me think - something I haven't been doing for a while!
    Kind regards
    Anna :o]

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    1. You are very welcome. It's been a long time, Anna.

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  13. Anna's poem reminded me of a very poignant piece of slam poetry by Shane Koyczan - "To this day" on how duplicitous bullying can be, whether victim or bully. In the bully's eyes he's defensive, reactive, almost heroic. The victim, tormented, stripped of identity, What's worse - what if both were one in the same, in the same person. I'll leave the link here - https://youtu.be/sa1iS1MqUy4

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the link. It's a Ted Talk. Brilliant.

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