On wings, I soar
far above the world below
I fly up high
above the bullies,
far beyond their reach.
Their hateful words
and fighting hands
can't touch me as
I soar along
catching winds and
breeze alike.
Swimming through
cotton clouds,
a transformation
on horizon–
mouth morphs to maw,
fingers blur to claws,
arms shimmer
with glossy pinions.
'Rockin' Robin' plays
on soundtrack as
I spy a yellow bus
below.
And there they are
staring up at me.
Their angry expressions
at my daring escape
making me falter
and droop.
Brown feathers
bleed through the sky
now fading
back to flesh as
MJ's croon turns sharp
in warning.
Too late.
They've got me in
their grasp again.
I cannot breathe.
My chest hurts with
the pain of their
barbed words,
ripping me to shreds.
Until I remember
I don't need wings to fly.
A clever tongue,
a mean right hook,
strong legs to stand
my ground.
'Rockin' Robin' plays
on soundtrack as
I spy a yellow bus.
Bodies hanging
half out windows,
cheering and calling
me by name.
I jump straight up
and take to flight,
on power all my own.
No wings in sight,
soaring home
in victory.
___________________________________________________
Written for the Full Moon dream challenge and for all those that have faced and continue to face bullying. Rise above.
Author's note: even though it's been almost forty years, I still remember dreaming this all the time as a kid. There were unfortunately bullies in the neighborhood, and I just wanted to have the ability to fly away and escape. The song 'Rockin' Robin' that Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five covered was something we used to sing at the bus stop as we stood in a circle and did a hand clapping rhythm. Crazy what the mind carries over into dreams!
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Comments (39)
I always found the best way to handle bullies is to act as if they don't bother you, cast off an occasional verbal retort (sometimes with bite, more often with appreciation), & smile. With some, it took years to gain their respect. With others it was almost immediate. Rarely has it failed. Now, as a 63 year old retiree, I find the only bully I tend to face is myself. In all honesty, when the bullies were looking up at you, I was all ready to unleash a load on them. But you brought me back to earth & the real world with much more mature & satisfying resolutions. As always, beautifully done.
Such an amazing piece with a powerful message. Incredible, Heather! Your work always inspires me!
Wow! Such a powerful piece. I'm ashamed to say I never heard Rockin Robin but this did remind me of the song and official music video of "Free" from Rudimental (ft) Emeli Sande. Thank you for sharing this!
The imagery and metaphors used throughout the poem are effective in conveying the contrast between the speaker's sense of vulnerability and helplessness when being bullied and their sense of empowerment and triumph when they find the strength to rise above it. Great job!
This is a really empowering and uplifting poem. I love the idea of using our own strengths and abilities to rise above challenges and obstacles, instead of relying on external things like wings. The imagery of the yellow bus and bodies hanging out the windows is really vivid and adds to the celebratory tone of the poem. Overall, it's a great reminder to embrace our own power and never underestimate what we can accomplish on our own.
I can resonate with this entire poem! It’s what I’ve been going through at my job. Thanks for sharing! It was encouraging and empowering, and it was an excellent reminder of how to combat bullies!
Nice
Woo hoo. Great poem Heather. Congrats on Top Story 🥰
I feel like you live in the Top Story category Heather. Congrats haha.
Loved the ending, it was so satisfying! Beautifully written as always!
Hey hey you did it again 😉🥰💯❗❗❗
Fantastic as usual Heather. Congratulations on your Top Story.
This is an interesting and different poem. Job well done!!!
Fabulous!!!💕💖
Wonderfully done!
Beautiful!
Very good visuals!
♥️♥️
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I am so glad this got a Top Pick. Very well deserved.
Love your inspiring message!! Congratulations on this great top story!
Great message, and I stumbled upon this just after thinking back to frenemies of the past, the synchronicity
I think everyone has dealt with a bully at some point in their life. Unfortunately not all bullies grow up so they come in all shapes, sizes, and professions. This is a wonderful poem about rising above it and not letting hateful people clip your wings with their sharp words. Nice work!
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Congratulations on getting ‘Top Story’ for this poem. It is deserving of the honor.