Bold and italics are thoughts in this one, italics alone is what is written down.

It's just a stupid assignment! Gilbert thought to himself the night before it was due, so why was it so difficult to write? It was one of the last ones he would be doing at Avonlea school he could do this...

The brief was an easy one. Write a poem about fear, it must be 3 stanzas long.

That was it. That was the whole brief, yet he had put it off and off again because the words never came.

Okay he thought alright, fear, what do I know..

Opposite of fear? Love. Yes they can't be in the same place as once, doesn't it say that in the bible somewhere?He would look it up later.

How do you feel when you are scared? He thought.

Alone.

Rejected.

Without hope no he thought that was a bit too personal.

What are people normally scared of?

The dark. That seems to be a fundamental

Thunderstorms, his mother was scared of them.

Not being loved.

How do we stop feeling fear? He thought...

Not being alone

Loving.

Great now he had to organise it all so I don't sound like a complete wuss.

Please don't pick me please don't pick me he thought as they waited for Miss Stacy to say whose poems she wanted to be read outloud.

" Gilbert." She said smiling " we haven't heard from you in a while, come to the front and share your poem with us.

Great. He thought as he stood up and walked to the front, you couldn't have chosen last week when I'd written about king Arthur in great detail... no it had to be this week with a poem... just great!

"I named it: Fear is alone

When the day becomes night

and the light begins to fade

is that what makes you fright

as the sun begins to shade?

Or maybe its the thunderstorm

Flashing lights across the sky

Is that the embodiment form

which makes you feel you will die?

For some its in the lost friend ** his eyes flicked towards Anne ***

feeling hated and rejected

When all they want was to mend

and fix the way they acted. ***Oh no! this poem is about her! Oh no!****

Fear is lonely it needs us there

to feed it in the garden

Blake did in wise warn its snare

Of poisons left unspoken

Fear is alone, I said it before

For what else can it do?

Unless you feed it four score

the harm can it do, is few.

Prophets of old tell us

There is no fear in love

so fear can turn to dust

we can sore the skies above

Is it the fear of being so unloved

Which tares your soul to pieces? *** he was asking her the question in his poem***

But when push comes to shove

You'll find love comes and releases

Please take my hand and in me trust. *** please take it Anne***

For when we are but two

Not even fear shall divide us

for a love so pure and true."

The class was silent. Gilbert looked down at his shoes thinking he had failed miserably and everyone could see him offering his heart on the plate to Anne AGAIN, and she world reject him completely... AGAIN!

" Well Gilbert that was a wonderful poem, well done, very insightful." Miss Stacy said. " was your own fear in there somewhere?" she asked.

" yes Miss Stacy it was." He replied.

" are you going to share with us which one it is?" she asked.

" I'd rather not if it's all the same." He said " although maybe I should add reading my own poetry out loud to my list." He said shaking trying to make a joke of it.

Miss Stacy smiled. " well Gilbert, you referenced Blake and the Bible, both to make your point clearer. I take it you meant the poison tree?"

" yes Miss Stacy."

" and wisely identified the opposite of fear as love. Thank you Gilbert."

He walked back to his seat his eyes flicked towards Anne her eyes were fixed to the front. He sat down, despite the glowing report from Miss Stacy, he still felt complete failure.

Anne had tried to ignore Gilbert's poem. Something struck

For some its in the lost friend

feeling hated and rejected

When all they want was to mend

and fix the way they acted

Poor Gilbert. She thought, what did I do to him?

'Is it the fear of being so unloved/Which tares your soul to pieces?'

yes, it was how could he know?

Please take my hand and in me trust.

She closed her eyes for a minute to hold back the tears. She wished her choices had let her do that.

Just take his hand. Just trust him.

It was too late, and she knew it.