10 Feb 2012

Eonnie,

Today in Literature class, we read a poem. The title is ‘The Beautiful World’. It goes like this:

It's a beautiful world
The colours they burn
Brighter
The people they smile
Brighter
The eyes they shine
Brighter

In bliss, they live

No longer in pain

Oh it’s a beautiful world
I stand
Tall with pride

Oh join the birds
In their flight

Oh I will
Take a leap of faith
And no longer be in pain

Our teacher asked what we thought of it. No one answered. So the teacher called out Krystal. She said that it was an encouraging poem, which encourages people to have faith in themselves, so they can free themselves of challenges (aka pain). Then teacher Im asked for my opinion. I thought it was creepy, but of course I didn’t say it. I couldn’t contradict Krystal in front of the entire class, right? But then Gary answered the question on my behalf again. (He is always saving me, somehow).

I think it was the first time I heard him speaking up in class. 

He said, “It is not an encouraging poem. It is a poem about committing suicide.”

Everyone in the class looked at him and fell silent, either because he openly contradicted Krystal, the most popular girl, or because of him speaking up, or because of his viewpoint.