The Clap Back

Addressing what has wronged you can be healing, a way to clear the air. The 8th graders of Clinton asked themselves what they liked, disliked, and wanted to change about their school before watching “High School Training Grounds” by Malcolm London. After discussing invective poetry, poems that critique something or someone that has wronged you, students confronted what or who had wronged them. From friends to bad weather to food mishaps to society itself, students shared what they would truly say when given the chance to “clap back.”

Ms. Karas (Morning Class)

My Clapped Hair Liam R.

My barber clapped my hair

I walked in the barbershop

and I sat on the chair and he cut my hair…

When I looked at the mirror

I was so mad and gave him no tip…

Watching a Scary Movie Abdul N.

Once upon a time I was at

my friend’s house and my friend put

a scary movie on his TV. It

 

was called Sijjin. I was

 

scared but I was still watching

it. I wish he had put on a

different movie but I didn’t really

care. I wouldn’t say anything but I

would say he should watch it by

himself in the night.

Suits Saeed T.

You’ve wronged me Suits, why why.

Couldn’t you finish in 16 seasons, why why.

Why Suits why did you make Suits LA, it was BUNS.

You broke my heart.

Stupid Best Friend Ayub Z.

My best friend, when we are talking and he says

the most stupidest thing I have ever heard and we

argue for an hour. Talking about how the earth was created.

I wish that he never asked that question because I was

late for something.

Ms. Krasic

My Opp Cristian F.

Puppyboy41 my opp, the way you talk

just makes me want to punch you

 

You always yell every time we play.

like bro, just get better or quit.

 

Always annoying, you screaming

at my face.

 

LIKE STOP you’re bad at the

game, JUST QUIT.

 

I hate you. I’m never playing

with you, you’re annoying.

 

I just wanna SLAP you.

You ALWAYS SELL THE GAME

 

WE ARE NOT winning fnf’s

with the coms we’re getting

 

ALWAYS leaving mid game.

That’s so annoying of you

 

I will report you to the FBI

and they will get you.

 

All that talk and scared

to talk IRL

 

Quit the game, don’t

talk to me.

 

I don’t like you nor love you.

Just One Day Zak R.

life is incomplete without extensions.

Just one day, please have good intentions

I don’t wanna learn about conjunctions

How can you ever look at your reflection?

Perfect Jessica T.

Everything has to be perfect

Clean, smooth, nice, yet

Stress and order consumes

Me whole, the need to set

Everything in its place

I wish I could stop this obsession

I want to let things be

To stand up and for once let chaos rise

Five Four Three Two One Eloise H.

He was laughing five minutes ago

Learning how to blow O’s from the vape his best friend’s older brother gave him

The three of them sat around together

And as they killed themselves slowly they never felt more alive.

 

Now the only smoke in the air came from his car

The one that kept driving, gas slammed, doing anything to get away

from the old man he had just flipped off four minutes ago

The old man didn’t do anything malicious back though

Just a sad smile and a straw to break the camel’s back as tears stream down his face.

 

The ones he’s been holding back for days now

The ones his mother let fall when he yelled at her

Mad at no one but himself but she created him so it was her fault too

When he checked the Google Maps route he saw he was only three

minutes away from the house he wants nothing more than to call home, again.

 

And at home his mother was crying too

Wishing the son she loved so much would come home

The one who wasn’t perfect but was perfectly hers

Two minutes ago she prayed he would come home to cry on her shoulder instead of his shame.

 

And he’s been sitting in her driveway for one minute now.

Ms. Karas (Afternoon Class)

I hate you chicken sandwich Atikah A.

You were supposed to be in my hand, but now you’re in my dress

I was supposed to eat you, but it felt like you ate me

When you landed on my dress, you made a mess

I cried, not for my dress but my chicken sandwich

I really loved you but that made me mad

I really wished you never fell on my dress

And wished you fell in my hand

“Why couldn’t you stay in my hand?”

I would spend a band on you

but now I really can’t stand you.

Untitled Danny

My mom got my name

messed up

with my brother

The Hard Truth Moises C.

They make me feel sad, I was feeling sad when

they told me how my brother was kidnapped. Those

soulless people don’t know the pain of the truth.

I call it “the hard truth,” because that’s the

sad reality of my beloved Mexico. I wish my

homeland could be a safer place, and that people

could think about others.

Ms. Macmillan

The Society Osman W.

The society wronged

us for what we

believe, their respect

I don’t see. The

humiliation is no

need. Why can’t we

all love each other

from different mothers but

love like a brother.

Scammer Eddizon M.

I detest you from the lowest of my heart.

Because you scammed me in FIFA and you unfriended me.

I hope you get scammed too.

You make me feel terrible.

 

You make me feel bad.

Snow Yasar S.

I go to the park in the snow to play soccer

snow comes out and I can’t play soccer

I clean the snow away

Don't Trust Nobody Mahdi M.

You made me feel angry and sad

and why did you do it for?

I thought you were going to be my best friend for life

but it was just a dream, it is what it is.