Student Publishing Program ::

Elijah Ada

I Met This Girl at Camp

I met this girl at camp, and for the most part seemed ok.
Til we sat down together and she opened up one day.
She’s anorexic, bulimic, and afraid of what people say.
She refuses to eat at all, and she slowly wastes away.
Her best friend committed suicide when she was just 16
And to my friend her world was gone. Shattered. Everything.
She thinks of her everyday, but to make matters worse
Her stepfather went the same way, stuck on a downhill course.
Her family is shattered. Her real parents - divorced.
No love is found there, just deep, deep remorse.
She has mental problems, too. She sees a counselor and takes pills,
But sometimes she forgets and just falls, sickly ill.
She cuts herself to shreds, and refuses to stop until
She finds some control, a stronghold or stand still.
Her boyfriend’s now her ex. He spent nine months in jail.
He just got out recently. Sixteen and on bail.
He’s done plenty bad, and high school he’s failed,
And yet she’s in love with him. It’s like she, herself, is in jail.
Her whole life is like that. She feels forever trapped.
Her whole life’s a mess. Delt bad cards from her stack.
She feels alone in this world, and good love she does lack.
She’s thought of committing suicide, of not coming back.
And when I heard that, something inside me died.
And I knew deep down, deep down, I had cried.
I talked to her, and tried to change her mind.
If it wasn’t for forever, then perhaps just for a while.
She said she wanted to hear me sing, any song I liked.
And afterwards I saw her smile and hoped that I had saved a life.
I’m glad I met her this week at camp. I’m glad I said hello.
I’m glad that she said “heya” back, and each other we got to know.
Cuz if we didn’t talk tonight or even said hi.
She would be six feet under and no one would know why.

[TABLE OF CONTENTS, LHS CLASS OF 2013 EDITION]