Sitting in that school cafeteria,
looking intently at his stew,
the fear growing inside of him.
He looked up -
they were looking in the window,
three boys,
said they were going to beat him,
once he left the lunchroom.
He sat there for ages,
imagining what they would do to him,
terrified,
looking at stew -
he still hates stew,
a lifetime later.
Watching the clock behind the far stage,
wondering if he waited until the bell,
maybe they would leave.
Nothing is worse than fear,
nothing is worse
than what it does to your body,
to your mind.
Finally,
he put his tray into the cubicle,
the elderly woman on the other side,
smiling at him.
Pushing the doors open,
he went to his fate.
Even now -
he reacts bodily to bullies.
It is not pulling back,
it is not staring at stew -
it is pushing
through
that door to meet them.
Today,
he saw someone being bullied -
modern bullying,
not in the schoolyard,
that is not how they bully you.
They threaten your job,
they threaten your peace of mind,
they threaten your self-image.
They have learned to be insideous.
Those boys looking through the window,
are now managers,
among others.
They smile to your face,
while throwing punches.
When you call them out,
they act suprised -
denying everything,
while they have the weapon in their hands.
That boy stands up to bullies
now
always -
because that little boy
still inside of him
would have it no other way.
Lee Sturgis