What shall I do about Carla McFee?
The girl is truly getting to me.
All her mocking and taunting.
To face her is daunting.
Tormenting me gives her such glee
At night in my bed,
You know what I do?
I imagine her dead,
And suffering too.
I inflict on her torture.
She’s tied to a stake.
The flames singe and scorch her.
Her insides, they bake.
Or …
I know what to say,
And I use a firm tone.
And lo and behold,
She leaves me alone.
But …
Back at my school,
Our roles are reversed.
I forget all the lines,
That I’ve tried to rehearse.
My mouth goes so dry,
And my heart is aflutter.
Not one of those words,
Do I manage to mutter.
It’s all I can do,
Not to break down and cry,
I stammer, I stutter.
I feel I shall die.
What shall I do about Carla McFee?
I’ll ask my Grampa.
He’s wise as can be
He says …
Although it feels good to dream of her torture,
It really won’t stop her abuse.
You need to put your imagination,
To more constructive use.
The next time Carla starts taunting again,
Protect yourself from the pain.
Imagine you’re wearing a rubber skin.
Her insults bounce off you in vain.
She’d love you to cry.
Or to show a reaction.
She mustn’t be given,
That grim satisfaction.
Just hold you head high,
And show no dismay.
Look her straight in the eye.
And walk calmly away.
So …
The next day, Carla was at it again;
She ridiculed how I was dressed.
I imagined I put on my rubber skin,
And I managed to feel less stressed.
I kept my cool and looked at her calmly,
As if not a thing was amiss.
I walked away and said to her simply.
“I haven’t got time for this”
It took a few weeks until Carla got bored,
Of seeing me so unperturbed.
Her mocking and jeering I simply ignored.
I managed to seem undisturbed.
The memories continue to haunt me,
That I cannot deny.
So then I go to see Grampa,
I have a little cry.
If you should meet a Carla McFee,
Remember Grampa’s advice.
I don’t know why it has to be.
Why can’t we all be nice?
by Andrea Wilson
Topics For Discussion:
- Is the desire for revenge healthy? What could be the results?
- How does anxiety manifest itself? What can provide relief?
- It is important to seek advice and assistance from adults. Why?
- Define coping mechanisms. Explore ones which are effective and appropriate. Which aren’t?
- It is possible to defuse a bully. What can happened when a bully doesn’t get a reaction? What attitudes (verbal and non-verbal) might suggest to a bully that a victim isn’t reacting? What is the bully likely to do? Has he/she learned anything?
- When is it not advisable to cry, and when is it safe to do so?
Classroom Activities:
- In groups of three, re-enact the story.
- Draw illustrations for the poem.
- Practice adopting a nonchalant attitude and using phrases intended to defuse (and not provoke) a bully.
- Expand upon the story. Adopting the role of the Grand-Father, brainstorm a list of other advice and coping mechanisms.
Great poems — they’re really accessible for children. The accompanying materials are great, too. Thanks for exposing this oft-ignored issue.
Thank you for the encouragement.
I really didn’t know what to do with the poems, but they weren’t doing anyone any good sitting on my computer. I figured I would just thrust them into cyberspace in case anyone might find them of use.
i love your theme, its very peaceful and beautiful
Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation 🙂 Anyway … nice blog to visit.
cheers, Lacunary!!
my name ia kitty meyers
i really like this one =^^=
thats was an absolute fantastic poem. love it. im looking 4 1 and i think i have found one…
I LIKE THIS POEM ITXS LOVELY<3!
Everyone has had a Carla McFee in their lives. Great advice from Grandpa! But the tormenting/bullying has done its damage. The poem gets right to the point, but without a conclusion because it (being bullied) stays with you.
I totally agree. The damage has been done. If you have a solution as to how to erase or alleviate the effects of bullying on a victim, I would welcome that and millions others would too. All I feel I can do is educate and perhaps offer proactive tools or coping skills.
andrea