Keith and Eugene

I don’t understand why they do it;
Why Keith and Eugene keep on trying.
Or why they don’t scream or strike out
At the people who jeer at two losers.
Always last to be picked, or even left out
When choosing sides for some game.
Or shoved to the back of the line . . .
Any line.

I don’t understand why they do it,
Why they sing and play football and wrestle
When they can’t hold a note, or carry a ball
And their stride’s not much more than a hobble.
Some kids call them "Fatso" and "Lardhead"
But they never realize the hurt
Or the pain they must cause --
That we cause.

No one understands why they do it
When each day means more jeering and laughter
I laugh, when I know that it’s wrong.
Glad that I can fit in with the crowd.
We don’t understand why they’re different,
So we pester and badger the misfits, not knowing
The guts that it takes, when you’re flat on your face
To keep trying.

Bo Stith
Senior Year, Eastern Wake County High School, 1982