Mirror, Mirror: A Poetry Book

The Things I Learned In School

Here’s a big project, no wait, now here’s two

And don’t forget that both of them are due

On the Tuesday of this upcoming week

On that day that you really need some good sleep

They’re worth over half of your grade, so good luck

And don’t forget that you really need to rest up

For the test on that Monday, it’s important for you

So don’t forget that you need to study for that, too

It covers everything and everything’s on it

And if you fail this test, I’ll see you in August

And if you happen to pass, congratulations to you

Don’t forget there’s a third project on Friday that’s due

And this is how every single class goes

And there’s always that kid that yells “man, this blows”

And at first I just rolled my eyes and would say

“You don’t put in the effort that you need every day.”

But now I am nodding because I finally agree

That it sucks that this is how I’m supposed to get my degree

Because school has taught me nothing of use

But they use their test scores as a lame excuse

To tell me I’m learning when really, I’m not

I’m stuffing in info through a tiny mail slot

And I don’t know how this has ever helped me

To reach the stable person I aspire to be

I don’t know how to balance a check

And I don’t know how to stay out of debt

And I don’t know how to apply for a loan

So how will I know how to buy my first home?

But thank God that I know pythagorean theorem

And the proofs in Geometry ‘cause supposedly I need them

And thank God that I know who the tenth President was

And what country invented the modern version of gauze

I’m writing this poem so that hopefully you’ll see

The amount of stress that’s building inside of me

The hopelessness I feel as the hours tick by

That maybe I won’t pass, that maybe I’ll just die

Because between fine arts that they encourage at school

And the upper level classes that make me feel like a fool

I’m losing my mind from all the work and the stress

Each day I care about my grades just a little bit less

Kids are dropping out like it’s the cool thing to do

And they’re committing suicide, I tell you, it’s true

They’re doing it because of the stress in their school

Because our big educational system is cruel

I weep for those who are gone and passed

Not their classes, but from this life way too fast

Because they thought that they just weren’t good enough

To pass a class that was just way too tough

This is where I will stop for now

I’ll take my leave after I lean down for a bow

Everything that I’ve told you in this poem is true

Hang in there, students, I wish good luck to all of you