I write this poem for the kids with three textbooks in their backpack everyday

 

because scoliosis is a term coined by the public school system

because of constant inactivity and what feels like early onset arthritis

because you have every single advanced or AP class on A days

because B days relieve the pressure till you get home and hate school

because the homework for A day is staring you in the face on the kitchen table

because you sit at school for seven to eight hours pouring over material 

because you need to prepare for five different major tests on the same day even though you only have 4 classes

because these tests will determine your future

because the future is a series of tests

because you constantly need to prove yourself and your worth in order to succeed

because people won't like you or hire you if you're a failure

because a failure never does things right

 

I write this poem for the kids who balance religion, and homework, and sports, and community service

 

because no one will look at them or notice them

because they're just a single digit in a sea of numbers

because when you walk through those doors all your life is summed up into a series of codes, and tests, and evaluations

because no one cares about how you like to write, unless that writing is grammatically correct

because no one cares if you like to sing, unless you can sing in accordance with others and win competitions 

because this school needs money to pay for the kids who are actually great

because only the extraordinary ones deserve every single chance and resource they can receive

because the kids who struggle will never be extraordinary

because their scores are average

because no matter how hard they study they will never ace the final 

because they spend endless nights home with only the company of college text books and required reading to comfort them

because they can't fall behind, less they be forgotten

 

I write this poem for the kids who will never stand out, who aren't geniuses, who can now pop their wrist constantly due

to all the essays they've had to write and the formulas they've had to solve.

 

I write this poem for the ones coming back this year, and the next, and the generations after.

 

I write to tell them they're not alone.