Age 12

School bells ring, obnoxious and loud.

Tired are my eyes, and dreading is my chest,

Already anxious as children push past me in a crowd.

The misty, winter air clings to me as I trudge,

Over frosty grey grass making an unsatisfactory crunch.

Age 13

Loud giggling, distant chatter,

Insecure girls, girls I dislike.

Some kind girls, but I am too shy.

My close friends aren’t here,

The people who understand me

are nowhere near.

Age 14

I am diffident, while they live for attention.

The persistent struggle of self acceptance,

Is like a raging storm, leading to great misconception.

‘Why can’t I be confident?’ My mind screamed

‘I could be popular and happy!’ I constantly dreamed.

Age 15

Loneliness is just an emotion fuelled state of mind.

Hard to avoid, especially if your shy,

But in my mind I treasure, my values of being kind.

Someone could be confident and rarely lonely,

But lack emotional intelligence, decency and compassion.

I may feel lonely sometimes, but that’s okay.

You can’t feel included everywhere with everyone.

No one should blame themselves for loneliness, I pray;

No matter how many people you are around, you can still feel alone.

Everyone should accept themselves for who they are,

Leave room for growth, but never drastically change

because you think it’s the solution to loneliness.

It’s not.