High School

Wouldn't it be great to do something useful

Real research, published reports, genuine solutions

To thrust away the simulators and open a frontier of discovery

I'd slash the busywork with a penknife

Peel away the lips of my teachers

And stick the words in their mouths:

“You're here to learn

To accomplish something

Not to be graded but appreciated

For what you've done”

I'd break the classroom barriers with chairs

Slamming them through shaded windows

And rebuild the school kingdom

Determination my shield, vision my lance

I'd prop the alligator mouths open with rulers

And stick the words in their mouths:

“You're here to make a difference

To never repeat an assignment

Not to be graded but appreciated

For your experience”

But I'm trapped by scores and rankings

By assignments and exams issued as tests

Not problems to be solved

In the high school environs, I'm not a student,

But a drone filled with knowledge

Lacking the access key to my own mind

Left to stagnate and dwindle

And wonder why the education system is failing

When I already know