The Outcast Poem by Kelsey Gallant

Little Barbara walked home through the snow
Past the Great Eastern Mills and the ten-cent store
Saw an ad for a brand-new radio show
Couldn't drum up her interest; her soul was so cold

Classmates' taunts ringing in her ears
"Ugly! " "Dummy! " "Square! " reducing her to tears
She squeezed her eyes shut, praying that they'd all just go away
At least going home was a reprieve and an escape

She entered the house with a slam of the door
Mama looked up crossly but then saw the pain she bore
She opened her arms, and drew Barbara in
Said, "I know it's hard, but don't let those bullies win."

Little Barbara filled her plate with food
As Dad reminded little James to close his mouth to chew
Conversations around the table made her smile
Helping her forget about her problems for a while

~
Little Ava walks home through the snow
Past the plaza with Chipotle and the Apple store
Billboards advertising the next season of a Netflix show
Her favorite, but she doesn't care; her soul is just too cold

Classmates' jabs ringing in her ears
"Ugly, " "Basic, " "Noob, " reducing her to tears
She squeezes her eyes shut, wishing they'd all just go away
Feeling suffocated, like there's no way to escape

She enters the house with a slam of the door
It's empty as always, throws her stuff on the floor
Curls up on her bed and pulls out her phone
Needs something to help her not feel so alone

Little Ava opens up her chats
A new unopened message says "heyyyyy fat"
And other people's posts are full of friends and fun and smiles
She lets the tears roll down her face, wishing life would just expire