Name Calling | Teen Ink

Name Calling

September 12, 2022
By TrialKasai GOLD, Partlow, Virginia
TrialKasai GOLD, Partlow, Virginia
15 articles 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
I'm not special, I'm just limited edition.


When I was a child
I didn’t know it was wrong.
Stupid, weirdo, crybaby.
I hadn’t known
They were making fun of me.
I hadn’t known
It wasn’t a game.

I thought I was stupid
For not understanding their jokes.
Their games. Their conversations.
I still don’t.
But that’s okay.

I thought I was weird
For being different.
My thoughts. Interests. Actions.
I haven’t changed.
But that’s okay.

I thought I was a crybaby
For getting upset.
Tears falling. No reason why.
I still cry sometimes.
But that’s okay.

It’s okay, because now I know
That they were wrong.

I’m not stupid, I’m clever
For not falling for their tricks.
For not stooping to their level.
I knew what I needed
And I didn’t need them.

I’m not weird, I’m unique
For not acting like the group.
For not changing who I was.
I knew who I was
And I wouldn’t be them.

I’m not a crybaby, I’m strong
For not letting it become too much.
For not keeping it bottled inside.
I knew what I felt
And I felt better without them.

I can go by many names.
Stupid, weirdo, crybaby.
Clever, unique, strong.
They don’t tell the whole story.
Only a small part.
There’s only one name that matters.
Mine.

Call me by my name.


The author's comments:

One of the most common forms of bullying is name-calling. It is simple, can be thought of in under a second, and can last years. And the damage it can cause is tremendous.

I had my fair share of names when I was younger, not all of them nice. But as I've gotten older, I realized that those names are only that: names. They don't control who I am. The only name I have to worry about is mine, because that is the only one that tells my whole story.


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This article has 1 comment.


on Sep. 25 2022 at 10:44 pm
ColorsOnTheWater BRONZE, Austin, Texas
1 article 0 photos 17 comments

Favorite Quote:
He's not a tame lion - C.S. Lewis

Thanks a lot for publishing this poem. I have a mild form of cerebral palsy so people call me names all of the time. your piece has given me hope. I recently wrote a poem about name calling as well and I will publish it as soon as I can.