Dealing With Hard Subject Matter

It seems lately, especially as a teacher, I'm not allowed to voice my opinion on things because it "might hurt someone's feelings".  It doesn't change the fact that I still have those feelings and need to deal with them.  My school has had three suicides in the last year.  These kids were unlikely possible candidates...top of the class, scholarships to college, good families.  People cared for these kids but for what ever reason, these young people made the fatal choice.  I cant even tell you about the five or six who I personally know that were not successful with their attempt.  It makes me seethe with anger at their selfishness...yes, I know how unpopular that opinion is.  I still have to deal with it.

for this page, I came across a poem on facebook that really shook me.  the voice of the poem is from the person who committed suicide.  I needed my page to be grungy but not gory.  I scribbled in pencil all over my page. (emulating the scribbles of the kids before they commit.)  I then used brown paper towel to create the tone..(.something you use to clean up a mess with).  I then drew the wings of a broken bird in ball point pen. I put in a black ribbon to represent the armbands we wear at funerals.  the silver ribbon binding the black ribbon was clipped off of a balloon like the ones we build to memorialize the student who left us. I'm tired of grieving.  the subject is dark and my page is dark but contemplative. I've used symbols in place of actual image.  I've also used muted colors and tones to keep the page serious. I watch the faces of my students when I let them read it.  I need them to know that its not OK.

My paperclip is one of those big ones that will hold the files compiled by the crime scene investigators...the details of a life.