'A' for Absent Life

Young children sit in cold hard chairs
intently reading the stories required
whilst the enthusiastic English teacher
analyzes all that’s laid before them

from Shakespearean language
to symbolism
to the meaning of life

Sweaty hands burn holes on paper
with pens scratching notes vigorously,
but understanding what’s said
is nonexistent.

The cold hearts care not of meaning,
but the words and phrases
that shall get the ‘A’
they so deeply desire.

For without that almighty ‘A’
they shatter as shards of ice
tear at the skin
leading to insanity.

No admiration is given to
Shakespeare’s poetic form
as it is only another language
in a another class
that must be memorized

as its meaning has no basis
in life for grades have come to define it.

Multilingual messages
are broadcasted from the school system
with a different meaning
from each different tongue.

To be successful they say you must
score above excellence as each paper test
will lead to your destruction
unless each question is answered
correctly in perfection.

Yet, others spew disguised messages
saying school is a community, a family, friends
coming together to gain knowledge and help each other.
To hell with that

for it is only a ploy to make those
struggling to feel better
about their selves,
but to later crush them as doors
shut in their crying foolish faces.

A cradle of lies poisons young children’s minds
as they are set determined on paying top dollars
to go to the best named school
continuing more relentless tests
marking your status in life.

Yet, what happens when the hollow bodies discover
that they have done nothing but kiss a*s so as not
to be a failure, but turns out that they have failed
to find true meaning for life?

To live a life doing what one is so passionate about,
not caring about tedious tests that come to grade worthiness,
living with the love that gives reason to live
makes a winner in my eyes.