“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

Sticks and stones.
Who says they have to break your bones?
Sometimes they fracture you and it hurts.
Leave it over time and it just gets worse.
Same with words over time.
So I’m sick of this rhyme.
Saying that words won’t hurt you.
Even though they do.
Especially when you’re young.
Sitting in the playground, wondering what you have done.
To deserve the verbal abuse.
Your classmates spit out at you.

They say it gets better from there.
Even strangers on the street, laugh and at you and stare.
They say to ignore them and the mean things they have to say.
Sometimes you don’t have the strength to ignore it every single day.
Words do hurt, they cut as deep as any knife.
They build up on you over your entire life,
and one day it just becomes too much.
They call you fat so you start skipping lunch.

Do they say these things out of spite?
Who knows, either way it leaves you crying all night.
In your only sanctuary, your bedroom.
What else can you do?
In this day and age
There is no escape.
You return home
Only to find a hateful message on your phone.

Some turn to blades.
Add a scar to their skin for every mean comment on their page.
They say the cutters are the problem.
‘The bullies will go away if you ignore them’.
Ignore them and they get mad.
Soon you wish they had
Broken your bones.
Instead of the messages they sent to you phone.
The words they say.
Haunt you for the rest of your days.
You might smile, take it in your stride.
Only realise exactly what they were saying at night.
So don’t tell me that words will never hurt you.
Don’t lie to yourself you know they do.

When you’re around people with fake smiles.
Who say kind things to your face but after a while
They get bored with you and laugh behind you back,
Calling you a bimbo, b*tch, stupid and fat.
Words hurt more each day,
Why do you feel the need the spew the mean things you say,
Picking on those you know won’t fight back?

Only because you have a snickering pack
Of people just as bad, people who get just as mad.
Mad at you for being better.
Yet they say you’re worse behind some letters.
Letters on a screen that they use as their attack.
Never say it to your face only behind your back.

They’re cowards, that’s all you need to know,
You’re beautiful, not an ‘idiot’ nor a ‘stupid hoe.’
If you need help please reach out,
Reach out to someone and they’ll help without a doubt,
Because sticks and stones may break your bones,
But the pain of the words
Lasts longer.