Can’t you take a joke, kid?

Look, I was only teasing.
C’mon, it’s all in fun.
You got no sense of humor?
Aren’t we the touchy one!

But I don’t find it funny.
I guess I missed the joke.
Thought if I say that outright,
They’ll laugh until they croak.

Hey! Can’t you take a joke, kid?
Are jokes supposed to hurt?
I fail to see the humor.
You called me “stupid jerk”!

My! Your skin is awfully thin.
Stop getting so perturbed.
Hello! We all have feelings!
I guess you haven’t heard.

What side did you get out of bed?
Why can’t you let me be?
Because you’re really fun to bug.
It’s awesome, can’t you see?

Could be you find it funny.
Perhaps you cannot learn.
But history has a nasty way,
Of making it your turn.

by Andrea Wilson

Topics for discussion:

• The last stanza is reminiscent of the expressions: “What goes around, come around.” and “You reap what you sow.” Discuss what this means.
• Joking is a healthy way of having fun amongst friends. Taunting is verbal bullying. What differentiates one from the other? (Joking: does not intend to hurt anyone, makes both parties laugh, involves the participation of both parties, does not demean anyone, and stops when one person becomes upset. Taunting: aims to hurt someone, is not funny to the target, is purely one-sided, is cruel and humiliating, and escalated if the target becomes upset.)

Classroom Activities:

• Draw two comic-strips. One demonstrates two friends joking in a friendly fashion. The other depicts a bully taunting someone.
• Write a list of things you don’t like to be teased about. How would it make you feel if someone did tease you about one of those things? What might you say or do to make them stop?
• In teams of two, act out the poem. One of you says the text in regular font and the other says the part in italics.

A Friend

Never underestimate the value of a friend.
Someone who is loyal, on whom you can depend.
You might not always play with them. They play with others too.
But when the chips are really down, they’re always there for you.

I once had such a friend. She was a most amazing person.
Her hair was red and wavy and her name was Gwen MacPherson.
Until that point in early life, I didn’t comprehend,
That life is nicer, safer when you share it with a friend.

You see there was this other girl who caused me great distress.
She told such lies about me that my life was one big mess.
Her whispers and her nasty gibes had long begun to haunt me.
Then other boys and girls joined in. They too began to taunt me.

It seemed no one would help me and I felt so all alone.
The outdoor playground had become a dreaded combat-zone.
And then one fateful day while hearing jokes at my expense,
Gwen MacPherson jumped right in and came to my defense.

It wasn’t what she said that day or even how she said it.
It took a lot of guts, for which I’ll always give her credit.
The others looked so very stunned and soon they crept away.
My own relief was more than words can possibly convey.

With Gwen as my own buffer, I felt much more empowered.
The girl who used to bug me had become a nervous coward.
Gwen and I would stroll around, while walking arm in arm.
The other girl was puzzled and would flee us in alarm.

I’d been in such an awful funk and given up all hope.
Then Gwen became my trusted friend and showed me how to cope.
So never underestimate the power of a friend.
Someone who is loyal, on whom you can depend.

by Andrea Wilson

Topics For Discussion:

• The narrator refers to her friend as a “buffer”. What does that mean? In what other ways might a friend be helpful in avoiding or coping with bullying incidents?
• The bully in this poem succeeded in recruiting other children to join in her nasty game. What would have happened if everyone had refused to join in? Do onlookers have any power over the way a bullying event unfolds? Do they have any responsibilities?

Classroom activities:

• Think of a time when you felt all alone and afraid. Using a simile or metaphor describe what that felt like. Example: Being alone and afraid feels like a cold, damp day. Being alone and afraid tastes and looks like an empty desert. Being alone and afraid is like having a mouthful of hot chili peppers.
• As a class, brainstorm qualities that make up a good friend. Individually, identify which qualities you possess and which ones you need to work at.
• Draw a picture about a time when someone stood up for you. If you can’t think of an example, make one up.

Belinda Bates

Belinda Bates is a bully
A bossy, belligerent bully.
Though a beauty and bright,
She’s so full of spite,
But adults don’t know she’s a bully

“On please let me help, Miss O’ Neal”
“What a lovely tie, Mister Beal.”
She’s as sweet as canned spinach,
A fake to the finish,
Yet grown-ups are sure she’s for real.

But …

If they’d walk out on the playground
On any given day,
They’d see Miss Bates in action,
And much to their dismay,
They’d see …

A shy girl is shunned and she’s teased,
Her brother is kicked in the knees,
Another called “Fatso”
Her clique?
They all laughed so.
Such pain she inflicts with great ease.

But …

I can see it happen.
And I know it isn’t right.
I can tell a teacher,
And refuse to watch a fight.
I can help the shy girl.
Lift her brother to her feet.
Call Fatso by his real name,
and refuse to join the clique.

I can even be nice to Belinda,
For I’m sure there is something wrong.
I think she is really unhappy.
Let’s see if we can’t get along.

by Andrea Wilson

Topics for discussion:

• Why are adults often not aware of a bully’s behavior and how does a bully manage to pass undetected?

• Describe different types of bullying: physical, verbal, relational or social. How do they manifest themselves?

• What are cliques? When do cliques become a problem?

• What roles can an onlooker play?

• When should you intervene and how?

• What might be the underlying causes of bullying behavior

• What is empathy?

Classroom activities:

• Using the first stanza as an example, practice using alliteration to write a stanza about bullying.

• Using the phrase “She’s as sweet as canned spinach” as an example, write examples of similes to describe bullies.

• Explore empathy by finding possible explanations (not justifications) for Belinda’s behavior.

• Try methods of intervening by role-playing.