I don’t know if you can hear me

This is my first time speaking out

But I truly have something important to say

Something that can’t go unsaid.

 

Take a look to your left

Who do you see?

I bet you don’t even know their name.

Or maybe you do, but that’s all you’ll ever know.

You just know a name connected to face.

 

Now what if you knew

That in one year

They would be gone.

Because of something you said to them in the hallway.

You uttered it under your breath

The thought that they could hear you didn’t even cross your mind.

And now…

You’re left to live with what you have done.

 

If we knew this

Would we not say these things?

Would we not pass on these rumors that we don’t even know to be factual

The only fact about them is that they cause an impact

An impact that could send that face

That face and that name

Into an untimely grave.

 

You might think this is morbid and obscene.

It very well could be.

Or it could speak the truth for that one kid

That one kid who feels as if they are unimportant

The kid who goes home and doesn’t know his worth

All he knows is the name that gets told around the school

 "Faggot"

A name that makes him believe that his sexuality isn’t something to be proud of

Or the girl who is a whore

Yet she believes she will never be beautiful enough for a boy to ever love her

Because that one girl called her fugly in the bathroom.

 

That kid.

The kid who cannot speak up because nobody would be listening.

 

The kid who could change our graduating class to a number one less than before.

 

What we need to do is join hands with this person

Get to know them for more than their name or face

Reach out a hand and help them from this hell they’re falling into

Instead of watching them as they collapse

Because these actions that we never perform

Can’t bring a life back.

 

Instead of hating that bitch just because

Get to know her story and make her feel as if she belongs

We are so afraid to just be who were are – we’ll get judged and ridiculed

This is because we have no idea where to begin

 

Begin with being selfless.

That is all I can ask

And maybe you’ll make a few friends, a few memories

Or even save a life while performing this one simple task.

 

Get to know that name,

Get to know that name and that face.

Before it’s too late.