This week, for my article, I decided to write a poem. I have noticed that Mental Illnesses have not gotten the attention they should in many scenarios. In schools a lot of students, teachers, and parents don't pay attention to them at all, especially at the elementary school level. Many people don't believe that kids can have anxiety disorders or anything similar to them, but it is possible. I think that raising awareness around mental illnesses is important so that every student can have access to the care they need to make life easier, and, it is important that everyone learns about them. Instead of just learning about these disorders in Psychology, students should be able to learn in Health Class or should have some sort of seminar about it. Many students don't know about disorders and it would be beneficial for everyone to learn more in order to provide support to those who need it.

That being said, my poem is about a young boy who has Social Anxiety Disorder and he is confused about why he is feeling the way he is and why no one else seems to recognize his anxiety.

“The Perfect Student”

This morning I woke up

with my heart racing

my head spinning

my limbs tingling

but “I was ok.”

I swirled my cereal

in the bowl, watching

the shapes dance

around before their

oblivious eyes.

I felt like sometimes my

sister could see me;

the trembly, nervous,

core that everyone

pushed aside.

But she would not speak,

we would just walk two

blocks to the concrete

building that the buses

and cars screeched to.

In there they loved me,

I was put in a special class

for Gifted students; funny,

I never felt very gifted,

I always felt cursed.

Everything would crash

when the words failed

to roll out of my mouth

and I watched them

snicker and smirk.

Looking down in the halls

helped me avoid the pairs of

judging eye, my mind

buzzed with their

intentions like it knew.

My teachers called it shy,

my dad said respectful,

the students claimed I

was mute. “I don't

have a voice.”

They didn't know it was

taken from me, that

the words were choked

back each time they

made eye contact.

I didn't know why I

had to feel like I was

so far away, like a

barrier kept me from

the entire world.

But why should I have

to be too concerned,

“I'm only in fifth grade,

there's nothing to

worry about.”

So, as the restless tension

builds within me day to

day, I will keep going

in hope that someday

I won't be so nervous;

And that this truly is

just a normal feeling

that is not only

unique to me, but

shared by all.