How Does This Go Again?

But I haven’t written a poem in years

Not since high school at least

Trying to remember those rules, the regulations

They taught me when I was young

Hold on

Yes

I remember.

This thing is suppose to rhyme

But who has that kind of time?

Trying to recall when it’s appropriate to break the

Lines

Wait. That didn’t sound right

It’s totally fine

Just make it flow, a poem is a feel

Don’t make everything into such a big deal

Come on, don’t you see what’s happening here?

I can’t write poems, I’ll be real

I have high school check and college check

Where’s that damn career

I envisioned when they said go to college and get knowledge

Think,

Take a year off—took a year off

Save some money—saved some money

(This is it? Really?)

Been working long hours, two jobs, and dreams of hot showers

And getting off my feet

Fingers definitely looking like bones

Doing good work with better ideas

But getting madder and madder

“Hey, we can’t see you down there

You’re the lowest wrung on our ladder”

I just want to help

Someone, something, someplace

See a little bit of passion on one of my peers’ face

But their faces are turned down

Glowing screens and scrolling pictures

Facebook, Instagram, Myspace, Twitter

Standing watching trying not to get bitter

As they throw up peace signs but throw down their litter

For the love of god, stand up for something

Wait,

I mean something beside yourselves, please

So I’ll go back to school

And I’ll get my master’s

I’ll take on the debt, the books, the classes

Hoping the heavy weight on my back is the fastest

Way to learn to be a force for change in this world

Because people are humans, our spirits all curled

Together like threads in some great tapestry

What you do over there, comes back ‘round to me

And since I know my deeds go back ‘round to you

How about we all do the best we can do?