THIS IS A TRUE STORY

I was at school, and I was ticked. Majorly ticked. I'd had a hard day, already having taken two quizzes, and it wasn't even lunchtime! Crazy teachers.
     Anyway, I has walking down the hallway with long strides, dodging between people like a taxi driver in New York City. I waved as I passed one of my friends. Looking up, she waved back, then grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the river of students. "What?" I asked, glancing at the clock nervously. The last thing I wanted was to be late for 5th hour.
     "Have you . . . um . . . been to the bathroom lately?" Her face reddened as she said it, realizing how weird the question sounded.
     I stared at her. "No."
     Her eyes brightened. "Go in really quick, and take a look."
     I tried to pull away. "Look, I've gotta go--"
     "Just look." She steered me toward the girls bathroom and gave me a little shove. Groaning, I stepped inside.
     What I saw made my jaw drop.
     Covering the ceiling, floor, walls, and stalls were sticky notes. Sticky notes of every shape, size and color. All over the girls bathroom!
     I first thought It was a prank. I mean, that'd be really mean, but hey, it's middle school. Then I started reading the messages. You're beautiful - know this, and anybody who says otherwise is lying. Stand up for who you are. When life gives you lemons, make apple juice and let the world wonder how you did it. Hold on to what makes you warm inside. If you're happy, then why leave? Loving can cost, but not loving can cost even more. Smile - it intimidates your enemies. You can't fix what isn't broken. Stay strong. Wipe of that make-up . . . you're more than that. Never let people bring you down. No one's ugly or pretty, we all look different, so shut up, society. Do what you love and love what you do. Girl, you're amazing, just the way you are.
     My head spinning, I dashed out of the bathroom. "Who . . . ?"
     "I don't know," she said, closing her locker door. "Apparently there's some competition on Instagram about taking pictures of encouraging sticky notes . . . I think we've won."

     Eventually the sticky notes were moved out of the bathroom and onto a whiteboard outside. So many pictures were taken, and teachers were buzzing with excitement. The ironic thing was that they were always trying to have us encourage each other (though perhaps not by putting sticky notes all over the girls bathroom) but in the end, it was the students that made a difference.

     The sticky note vandals will be remembered, though their notes may be peeled off and trashed. But what really matters is that their messages of hope and beauty will live on in our hearts forever.

Hey all! Sorry, I haven't been on in forever, but I think I might have some more time nowadays. There are so many new members! Welcome, and I hope you enjoy participating in Blog for Joy!

My choir just got music for our fall concert. Among these include a SSA (Soprano 1, Soprano 2, Alto) piece called Life Has Loveliness to Sell. It's a beautiful song, and the lyrics are from the poem (also called Life Has Loveliness to Sell) by Sara Teasdale. Here it is!

Life has loveliness to sell,
All beautiful and splendid things;
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children’s faces looking up,
Holding wonder like a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell;
Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And, for the Spirit’s still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.

Give all you have for loveliness;
Buy it, and never count the cost!
For one white, singing hour of peace
Count many a year of strife well lost;
And for a breath of ecstasy,
Give all you have been, or could be.

Here's the link for the song:
http://www.lorenz.com/med/sample/15_2702H.mp3
Please listen! 

Anyway, I'm glad to be back!
Vale, amici!

Here is my favorite poem, by Karla Kuskin

Write about a radish
Too many people write about the moon.
The night is black
The stars are small and high
The clock unwinds its ever-ticking tune
Hills gleam dimly
Distant nighthawks cry.
A radish rises in the waiting sky.


LOVE it!

Sorry about all the depressing suicide poems!  Let's talk about something happy for a while.
What makes me happy?  Hmm . . . ah!  Let's go!

BASED ON A TRUE STORY

"Ah, it's so hot!"
Three inseparable friends, Sara, Maddie, and Annabell, were standing on a deck swarming with people at the potluck.  The sun burned down on them, searing their skin.  Maddie sipped her lemonade.  It was the fourth of July, and she was on her guard.  Maddie had a past history of getting injured on Independence Day.  When she was seven, she had been struck with torticollis, a form of temporary paralyzation caused by her unusual sleeping positions.  Another year, she had stepped on a smoldering sparkler, and received second degree burns.  But this year -- this year she was playing it safe.
"Let's sit down somewhere," Annabell suggested, wiping her sweaty brow.
Maddie and Sara nodded in agreement.
They made their way off the deck and over to the swing hanging from the trees.  It was crawling with toddlers.  "This one's taken," Sara groaned.  "Is there another around here?"
Maddie scanned the area.  A short bench near the pond with peeling white paint caught her eye.  "That one, over there by the pond."
Sara and Annabell followed her over to the edge of the pond.  At a closer distance, the bench looked even more fragile then before.  I'm sure it'll be fine, Maddie thought to herself.  She took a seat.
CREAK.  The bench groaned, but held.  Maddie patted the spot beside her.  Sara carefully took a seat.
CREAK!  The bench swayed, but didn't give up.  "I'm not so sure about this," Annabell said.  Then, she sat.
Nothing happened.
All three girls sighed in relief.  "I thought it was going to break," Sara grinned.
"I can just imagine it," Annabell said.  "Snap, crack-"
Immediately, there was a loud snap, and the girls were splayed across the ground.  Maddie felt her wrist scrape against a sharp rock.  When she looked at it, long red lines were streaked across her arm.
The girls looked at each other for a moment.  Then they burst out laughing.
"Mrs. Sundry!" Maddie called to the owner of the house, still laughing.  "I think you're going to need a new bench!"

I am Maddie in this story.  Really.  I have the curved line on my arm to prove it.  My friend, the one in the story named Sara, has a picture of the bench that I will post later.  Well, what's left of the bench, that is.  :D
I'm also not kidding about the things happening to me on fourth of July.  I'm starting to think it's cursed.

You saw her
you knew her
she tried so hard
gave it her best, but it wasn't good enough,
not good enough for Them.
You were curious about her, but not enough,
not enough to be her friend.
Or maybe you were
maybe you were her friend.
But either way, she seemed below you.
A nobody.
A Jane Doe.
Average.  She'd never be in the spotlight.
That's what everyone thought
about the girl that no one heard.

She tried out for everything.
Sports.
Drama.
Every after school club on the list.
Everything was a new chance for her
a chance to be heard.
A voice
a somebody
a role model.
But no matter how hard she tried, she wasn't amazing.
She wasn't pretty enough
wasn't smart enough
wasn't strong enough
wasn't patient enough.
She had no talent.
She was the girl that no one heard.

She tried out for the Student Council.
The popular girl was elected.
She tried out for the swim team.
The athletic girl had a better backstroke than her.
She tried out for the Future City team.
The 4.0 girl took the last slot.
And then she realized
that she hated being the girl that no one heard.

Her friends told her that her time would come
but she didn't think so.
She wanted the spotlight.
She wanted to walk the red carpet with the stars.
But she was nobody.
No, worse than that.
She was the girl that no one heard.

Finally, she had had enough.
Enough of trying to be someone
enough of trying to impress people
who had their hopes pinned on her peers.
But there was one way.
One way to finally get the attention she wanted.
One way to get her name in the books.
She would no longer be the girl that no one heard.

Her hands were cold that night
and her brow sweaty
but she knew
that what she was doing was what she wanted.
She held the gun to her head
and pulled the trigger.
And the last thing she remembered
was the satisfaction of knowing
that the girl that no one heard
was gone.

A MESSAGE FROM INMODICA:
DO YOU KNOW THIS GIRL?  If the answer is yes, then be a friend and help her to find her talents!   Get her involved in something that she enjoys.  Give her a reason to enjoy life, and be a somebody!  Not everybody is famous, but nobody should have to be the girl that no one heard.
DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THIS GIRL?  Stop right now and think of things people have said you're good at.  If you can't think of any, ask a friend or family.  You are not worthless!  You may have a hidden talent that you have not yet discovered!  Don't be the girl that no one heard!  If you want do be heard, blogging is a great way to start.  Ask us about joining a blog or starting your own!  We'd be happy to help!
HAVE YOU EVERY THOUGHT OF COMMITTING SUICIDE?  Let people help you!  Whatever is bothering you, don't let it take your life!  Talk to your parents, your friends, your school counselor, your teachers -- they can help you.  Everybody has their ups and downs.  And trust me, even the worst downs aren't worth killing yourself over.

There she is again
in the corner
leaning against the wall.
What is that in her hand?
A book?
A paper?
We will never know
because we are watching
the girl that no one sees.

Maybe she liked candy.
Maybe she had a favorite
movie
book
song.
Maybe it was one of your favorites too.
Maybe you thought of saying hello
on the day she appeared
plopped into class in the middle of the year
but you didn't.
After that day, she melted away
becoming nothing more than a piece of furniture
or a wall
or a desk.
If you tried to think of everyone in your class
would you remember her name?
What letter did it start with?
A?
R?
L?
No one knows.
The girl that no one sees has no name.

She had a life, you know.
A family.
Maybe a pet.
Perhaps she was an algebra whiz.
Perhaps she was nice.
Maybe she was friendly.
Maybe she looked at you.
Yes, she looked at us all
but no one looked at her.
Because she was the girl
that no one saw.

Do you remember the day?
Her desk was empty.
You had heard something,
a rumor
some story about someone
and something
and somehow.
What would you think if you knew?
What if you knew that on that day
her mother was crying.
What would you have done
if you had noticed her notes
leading up to the day.
Everyone hates me.
I have no friends.
I'm stupid.
I'm ugly.
I am the girl that no one sees.

She was too young to die.
But no one knew
or cared 
or did anything.
No one saw the notes
the knife
the blood.
Because she was the girl
that no one saw.

Do you sometimes think you remembered
a change that day?
Did the universe seem different?
Did you know why?
No, you didn't.
What about now?
What if you were her?
Would you act any different if you were the girl
that no one saw?

A MESSAGE FROM INMODICA:
DO YOU KNOW THIS GIRL?  If so, please, don't let her be friendless.  The sad truth is, there are many girls that no one sees.  But we can change that!  Don't let an innocent life be wasted.
DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THIS GIRL?  If you have ever felt like the girl that no one sees, don't stay that way!  Be seen!  There are plenty of potential friends at school and everywhere else.  You just have to get to know them!  And if you don't feel like doing that, we'll always be here too!  If you every feel like the need to just talk, I'm all ears!  My email address is located on my profile page.
HAVE YOU EVERY THOUGHT OF COMMITTING SUICIDE?  Let people help you!  Whatever is bothering you, don't let it take your life!  Talk to your parents, your friends, your school counselor, your teachers -- they can help you.  Everybody has their ups and downs.  And trust me, even the worst downs aren't worth killing yourself over.