Dear High School

I have good memories of you.

I had highs, lows, laughs and cried tears with you.

Every day for 4 years I would rise from bed

At the crack of dawn just so I could be with you.

I know you made it your mission to teach me,

And I admit I often didn't take you seriously.

But dear high school please hear me out

Because it’s possible you may have taught the wrong things.

You did a good job teaching me to write an essay.

 You pounded structure and form, into my head.

But perhaps you should’ve taught me to write a resume instead

Or even a letter of recommendation

Because honestly

How are the Odyssey and rhetorical analysis

 Going to help me fill out a job application?

But I love reading and writing

So I’ll let that one go.

But dear high school what about the math

I started learning of so long ago?

Addition and subtraction are essential.

Multiplying and dividing are necessary.

But how much weight do Trig and Calculus really carry?

Will algorithms and functions ever actually HELP me?

Because when the bills start coming

I’m pretty sure I won’t see

7x=3x+8

No, I’m sure what it’ll say is that

This money is due by this date

And if you like your water/lights/gas

Don’t be late.

Why don’t you teach me how taxes work?

Or least teach me how to estimate.

Since April 15^th comes around every year

It’d be nice to know how to celebrate.

Dear High School I’m not bitter

I don’t hold a grudge

I simply call it as I see it,

But I don’t hate or judge

There’s many things that you did right

I haven’t forgotten them

I only wish that you’d done more

So adulthood could be more of a gem

Written by Octavia Tolbert