Shawn L. Bird

Original poetry, commentary, and fiction. All copyrights reserved.

poem- truth about pink shirts March 6, 2014

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 9:57 am
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On anti-bullying day

five students are in the office

for having a fist fight

in their pink shirts.

.

.

.

I have a love/hate relationship with Anti-bullying Day.  First, because anything that’s ‘anti-‘ or ‘not’ the brain skips the adverb, and latches onto the verb- so they’ll see ‘bullying day’ as revealed in this poem.  I’d much rather the day promoted positive action than decrying negative action.  Say what you want to see.  Put those words out there: Be kind day!  Smile at a new kid day!  Bite your tongue before you speak day! etc.

Further to this, you might enjoy last year’s Pink shirt poem, which features Shane Koyzcan’s infamous “To This Day” poem/ youtube video

 

Pink re-think? March 27, 2013

Filed under: Commentary,Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 1:40 pm
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My shirt is pink!

That means I think each day about those wimpy nerds

who cry unheard in bathroom stalls

and that’s not all.

A pink shirt proves

I’m sensitive, to those less competitive

in this dog eat dog world of grinding cogs in

mean machines that devour

gentle flowers.

I wear a pink shirt

not to subvert the status quo

’cause don’t you know,

I hurt , too.

I hurt just as badly as you!

Those Wal-Mart bodies overflowing with fat

riding their scooters

Are too much of a hoot to resist staring at

and sharing to all five hundred of my Facebook friends.

Ha! Look at that

pathetic loser!

Why respect his dignity?

Why contain my bigotry?

Hey!  I’ve been bullied, too!

I hurt just as much as you.

But that guy, seriously?

Why act so furiously at me?

Why are you lashing at my humour

I’m just laughing, I’m not some tumour

of society, I’m just a guy, so quit it with the anxiety!

Look, here’s a brilliant warden

who puts all his prisoners in pink.  What do you think

of that?  Anti-bullying, hard-labour, and bread and water.

I agree!  I’ll share that will Facebook, see!

A prisoner should not expect respect

while serving time for their misdeeds, not rehabilitation

a trade, or improvement in his station.  No, he should be humiliated

even if being affiliated with negativity destroys personal dignity.

They wear pink shirts and think of their hurts.

Just like me.

I think, in pink, that every day I have a choice

to promote or demote

to improve lives or remove lives.

To embrace what is different without mocking

to try talking with who’s different, in grace,

To show compassion, and kindness, and care

everywhere.

To keep my mouth shut, when I’m inclined to giggle

at the size of some butt,

not to repeat the smut.

Because, who knows?

Perhaps I’m peaking now,

and in twenty years,

my best behind me,

my butt expanding from hours at my computer.

When I want to shop I’ll be on a scooter at WalMart

still just as smart, ready with a kind remark

at bullies snapping my photo with their phone

mocking me, not knowing I was once just like them

condemned to future hurts,

by hypocritical displays

in my pink shirt.

 

 

standing up to bullies February 28, 2012

All around my school are posters advertising February 29th as the day students are to wear Pink Shirts as a way to take a stand against bullying.

We teach our kids that they need to stand up for themselves and for their friends when they are under attack.  We teach our kids that it is wrong to try to force ideas and opinions without reasoned discourse.  We teach our kids to show respect to those who are different from themselves, whether they agree with them or not.  We teach our kids how to negotiate a fair solution when they have a disagreement with their peers.

In light of this week’s anti-bullying message, watching the BC Provinicial government’s bullying tactics toward teachers is rather ironic.  This week they are trying to force teachers to accept an imposed contract, refusing to either negotiate or to have neutral mediator negotiate on their behalf.

It’s a  lesson in irony.

Teachers believe in equity.  We stand up to bullies.  We have to, in order to be role models for our students.  When we stand with our friends against bullying behavior, bullies back down.  Right?

My pink shirt this Wednesday, February 29th is going to have several layers of meaning, as I do what I can to stand up for those who are bullying me and my colleagues.

 

 
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