The Next Page February 2013 | Page 18

I bang, bang, bang but no one hears me.

Why won’t they hear me? How loud do I have to scream? How long?

I’ve been hollering for a while now and no one hears me,

Either by choice or because they are oblivious to the sound,

I don’t know.

What I do know is that I am so tired of yelling,

So tired of trying to get them to notice me

Everybody bang, bang, bangs

Some people only do it for a little while

While others, like me, we bang, bang, bang for eternity,

And no one hears.

No one hears the bangs, screams, pleads, tears.

They pretend that they do, but they don’t.

They just keep walking

Deaf to the bang, bang, bangs of those on the outside.

I look around and see that I’m not the only one bang, bang, banging.

When you first start those bang, bang, bangs, you feel angry, resentful,

confused.

Then you feel regret, puzzlement, self-pity

Finally, when you are just about to drop, you feel

Acceptance

I will bang, bang, bang, and someone will hear me.

Christina Pellegrino

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