Adelaide

Pencils tap desks.
Clocks tick and tock.
Teachers turn papers.
And people whisper and lie and cheat.

Lockers slamming.
Toilets flushing.
Kids eating.
People rushing.

Laughing and looking.
Staring and pointing.
Clapping and snapping.
Yelling and shouting.

I smile at the teachers.
I smile at the lunch ladies.
I smile at the children.
But I cry inside.

I cry out for help.
I cry out for strength.
I cry out for love.
But mostly I cry out for pain.

Bells ring and kids jump up from their seats.
Running to the playground and to the swings.
I sit under a slide and all I want to do is
Cry.

Teacher looks confused.
She looks concerned.
First day of school,
I shouldn't be this hurt.

There it is again.
The big wheeled bus.
I climb aboard
And just want to be home.

I walk inside.
Trying not to make a sound,
but I do.
Here it comes.

Here comes the pain.
Here comes the suffering.
Here comes the tears.
Here comes the faking.