"The Stupidest Poem Ever"

Being an English teacher means reading, often, things you don't want to hear. I found this one, titled "The Stupidest Poem Ever," written by my student, Kayla. Kayla suffers from Worster Drought Syndrome, a malady that affects one's mouth and throat muscles, leaving her mute. She is able to communicate a few one-syllable responses, and can write questions or statements. Her poem was heartbreaking.

She describes herself early in life as a person with a big heart who loved everyone and everything, and she professes her real love of animals, especially horses. When she started school, everything changed. She was teased and bullied, and says she used to come home and spend hours in her room crying. Then when she was older, the sadness changed to anger. She went alone to her room, punched the walls, still crying. She said the only time she felt good about herself was when she was around her animals.

Now, at 17 and a senior, her peers have accepted her, and she moves through her time at her own pace and rhythm. After describing her difficult family life, she ends her poem with this:
               
                "Her life got better when she started living with her dad. She just
                worry about her life and don't care what people say anymore."

I read it, and the tears are rolling down my cheeks. I told her in my comments that it wasn't the "stupidest" poem ever; it is the most honest. There's nothing I can do for her past life, but maybe over the next few months we can work on a few things. I'm going to ask her to write about her animals, particularly her horses. I'll tell her about us losing Junior, and ask if she can fill that void by telling me about her horse. 

Maybe it's a way to heal us all.