“Vultures,” a poem by Nicole Rossi, sheds light on what bullies truly are. Comparing them to vultures and “monsters in pain,” she describes how bullying is merely a reflection of self-hatred forced unto others. In reading this poem, I discovered the reality of bullies, the fact that they too have internal conflicts and insecurities.

This poem reveals something that many people, including me, hope to be true, this “something” being that bullies aren’t always pure cruelty. I was moved that she had the courage to give others the bravery to “rise above their cruel words” and tell them that they are better than the labels bullies give them.