sometimes I think of this place as a pasture; the hallways as barns, the rooms the stables, and the fences lining the field as the end of campus. this place isn't made of wood, but I think it could be set on fire just as easily. I think maybe it already has.
like a ranch, this place has many animals, different kinds of people. there are sheep, mostly, and I suppose the mentors would be our sheepdogs. then, of course, there are wolves that we all agree do not belong on our ranch. they attack the sheep, hatred slamming cold into the ones they choose as fear and contemplation reaches the ones standing by on a sharp breeze.
one sheep is attacked, his blood spilling red and wet onto the grass, his sobs heard by the other sheep - but not truly heard. the wolves laugh, a shrill and evil howl, and they turn to the next sheep.
only, from that next victim's eyes, the first stands up and is twisted, changed, his wool morphing into fur, a snarl in his throat that reaches out of his snout.
the second sheep runs, as fast as they can, but they're caught by the first, and in a panicked bleat spill every word, everything they saw, and the first sheep's eyes are wide with shock and terror, for he is a sheep; and he never was a wolf. he begs for forgiveness, for them to forget what they saw, because he knows and hopes it didn't really happen.
the second sheep nods, feigning forgiveness, and moves on. until it continues to happen; the wolves leave, but the second, the survivor, still continues to see the first, the attacked, as a wolf. over and over again, until they are done with keeping quiet.
they find the attacked sheep's lover, her wool soft and white as her voice, her eyes soft and concerned as she learns that her lover has become a wolf. because of course, she believes the survivor, she does not mention it to her lover until she ends what they had.
the attacked sheep's heart is broken, and in a feeling of misery he cuts off the rest of his friends - including the survivor, who he does not yet know is the reason everything has happened. he ends every relationship he had, down to one with a horse who lives on the other side of the ranch, who he visits every day but who cannot save him. that is the only friendship he keeps.
all across the ranch sharp, angry stares cut through his wool; someone apologizes, because they don't know the full story. to be fair, he does not either.
the sheep finally gives in, searching his past lover's poems, free to the public. his heart stops for a moment when he finds one about him, scanning the words as tears gather in his eyes, and when he turns and sees himself in the mirror he realizes -
he is a sheep in wolf's clothing.
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125,021 Literary Works • 672,739 Reviews
I might not be an English major either but I do care about grammar and spelling xd Let's see if there's anything I can do to help.
Also, despite me keeping meticulous track of the Green Room, this one somehow slipped my notice, so my apologies!!
Onto the poetry!
I'm always careful with poetry tho. Is it deliberate that sometimes the beginning of sentences is not capitalised?
Like in this stunning sentence? "this place isn't made of wood, but I think it could be set on fire just as easily" Love the way you phrased that!
Tho I'm not sure abt the order here: "and the fences lining the field as the end of campus" bc the rest of the sentence is full of comparisons between campus and barn and here, this rhythm is broken?
"hatred slamming cold into the ones they choose as fear and contemplation reaches the ones standing by on a sharp breeze" I had to read this sentence multiple times to really understand it. Maybe you can think of a way to shorten it or at least break it up a little?
Ohh I like this thought: "but not truly heard." That really gets to the heart of it, no?
Oh no... I got chills thinking abt how a wolf attack turns its victim into another sheep. That is a haunting description! Is this a metaphor abt how if someone hurts us, we lash out at the world, maybe at ppl who don't even deserve it, and turn just toxic? Or maybe it's a metaphor on how we blame victims and think they caught what the attacker gave them?
Oh what a sad sad ending. Thanks for sharing this! I thought abt this all morning (because I was called away while reading it)
Wow, just wow. Obviously a little bit a spelling and grammar errors but I'm not an English major so I don't care. I can relate to this deeply. Adults see school as a simple little play ground. A place where times happened, and now there done. But us as students, as children. We are living this hell. And I think this perfectly shows this. None of us want to be the wolf, some of us are forced into that role by our peers, by society. Yeah sure, school isn't going to last forever. We grow up, get jobs, move on. But what we go through in these walls changes pieces of our brain that isn't the easiest to change back. This little tale or, whatever you want to call it, shows so much emotion and fear. Thank you, for reminding me that innocence can hide behind a scary mask.
HEARTS!!!!<3