Write they tell us,

Show us who you are.

Give us your soul in a story they say

I’ll grade it and judge all your scars.

 

Thousands of students with their

Quivering hands on paper, keyboards, and with ink

Try and show their instructors

They’ve learned the way to think

 

Teach us real life skills we say,

Help us learn to thrive.

Don’t drill math and science, English and art

That will chain us to the hive.

 

Treat us as humans we say,

Don’t think of us as pawns.

Don’t you see that girl crying there,

With the at-home test in her palm?

 

Men were born equal they tell us

One day during class

If that is what you say is true

Then why has it not yet come to pass?

 

Answer they tell us,

Tell us the lesson at hand.

Don’t think of something new

To prove you understand.

 

We expect to learn,

These things they say we will,

But learning doesn’t ever come

From repeating the same old drill

 

Jobs are harder to find now,

The country’s gone to hell,

You can’t just teach us basic things

To give us factory skills

 

Specialize our learning,

Let go of the long ago past,

Give us curriculums that will challenge us

And bring us up to task.

 

We shouldn’t be so bored,

To sit and class and wait,

To fill out scholarships,

And show how we are great.

 

Kids are roaming around the halls,

Never been to class, hardly ever goes.

But how can you judge these kids,

When their teacher never shows?

 

They say I’m one of the smart ones,

In all the AP courses.

But I don’t think I’m all that smart,

I take advantage of my resources.

 

Six hours worth of homework

Stashed in my bag to wait

While I go to band practice, Clubs, a job

And dinner I never ate.

 

I signed up for schooling,

Signed up to be provoked.

Not to sit around in class

And have you break to smoke.

 

If I have this time to write,

And you have this time to sit,

I should be learning important things,

Like how not to take your shit.