Don't you tell me that youth is lazy

When the average high school student  is expected to complete 

Over a thousand community service hours before they graduate

Maintain good grades

Help around the house, help their sibblings with homework, cook dinner, 

Maintain their delicate web of friendships

that make up most of their world, 

that you think is so unimportant, 

compared to your classwork; 

When the reassigned time to experiment is pushed to the college years

Because how crazy is it that somehow; college

Get no sleep college, coffee for breakfast, lunch, and dinner college

13 weeks to learn a years worth of information college

Is judged to be the best time to experiment. 

How crazy is it that the average high school student takes eight hours of classes a day

Then after is expected to take up a few hours of extracurriculars 

Maintain their grades, do homework for six classes daily, and somehow still be able to 

Be a kid. 

Don't you tell me that youth is lazy

When you are so hung up on blaming children for spending so much time 

"Doing other things" 

Like persuing passions 

And reading stories; searching and grappling for hope

Finding things that make them feel strong 

To make these long bottomless days seem worth it

When all you can do

Is criticize them blindly and call them "smart but lazy" to the faces

of their tired parents. 

Don't you tell me

That of all people you think your students are lazy because they damn well aren't.