They Ain’t Your Friend (a poem)

Wednesday, November 13, is World Kindness Day. Something I try to instill in my children and the children I have in my classroom is that it doesn’t take too much to be nice to someone and to treat them with kindness. Problem is, not everyone treats everyone nicely, and not everyone follows the golden rule. Sometimes, kids have to learn a hard lesson: they ain’t your friend.

While World Kindness day is meant to embrace doing kind acts and living a life of caring for others, kindness can also mean taking care of yourself and being kind to yourself.

My teenagers — those in the four walls of my classroom — often succumb to the peer pressure that is high school life. I listen to them talk to one another (or about one another), and sometimes they aren’t the kindest words.

I’ve seen kids ostracize someone, and even yesterday heard a girl simply say, “I just don’t like you.”

Having been a person who was at the receiving end of girls with mean intentions, I have advice for those who are young and sometimes only seeing the world through rose-colored glasses.

My poetry linkup group has taken on the theme of World Kindness Day. My poem puts a spin on that theme. Enjoy!

They Ain’t Your Friend

If they smile to your face
then disappear without a trace

They ain’t your friend.

If they laugh at your jokes
then you find that’s a hoax

They ain’t your friend.

If they seem to have only stayed
when they need help or a better grade

They ain’t your friend.

If they date your boo
two days after you

They ain’t your friend.

If they can’t help in a storm
and only appear when it’s warm

They ain’t your friend.

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Go check out the poems by my other bloggy friends!

“Kindness of Strangers” from Karen at Baking in a Tornado

“Be Kind” from Diane at On the Border

“A Kinder, Gentler World” from Dawn at Spatulas on Parade