That 'so Shy' Guy Poem by Maya Reid

You ask someone to describe him
And after you explain who he is
They say, “He’s quiet.”
“He seems really shy.”
“He doesn’t really fit in.”
“People sort of, ya know, talk about him.”

More of society’s bullshit
It’s worse than that
It’s deeper than that

Ask them to talk about
The cold looks that pierced
His heart
Like icy daggers
The stares that screamed
“YOU DON’T BELONG HERE! ”

Ask them to talk about
The perfectly timed jokes
That he was the butt of
The sharp words
That slashed deeper than any knife could
That sliced his very soul

And they’ll deny every word
Cuz they never touched him
Never said a word to his face
But sometimes what you don’t do
What you didn’t do
Is more important than what you did

Shunning him to the outskirts
Of your oh-so-perfect world
Hurt more than if you beat on him
You left with him the bruises that don’t fade
Bruises on his heart
Scratches on his soul

In not giving him room to stand
You broke his wings
So he could no longer fly
The space got smaller
You broke his legs
He could no longer even stand

For years he’s been battling
Icy daggers and sharp knives
For years you’ve been breaking him down
And he can only stand
So much abuse

There’s no need to wonder
Why, after so many years
Of you nipping at his very soul
The “quiet kid”
That “so shy” guy
Broke down
And bit back.