Before You Ask

Our teacher expected us to memorize an entire slam poem with about two weeks of school left. This is highly unreasonable considering our workload. This is my response to him.

Before you ask
No
I have not
Memorized my poem
I have not dropped
Everything
To please you, Sir
And if my grade is
Anything to show for it
I haven't been doing a good job in the first place
And I'm sorry
That maybe passing math
Is a high priority and
Those good grades in science
Mean more to the overlords
Then 'just some writing class'
In 'just some art school'
And yeah
It makes me pissed off too, Sir
But with everybody breathing down
My neck
To succeed and excel
Words that my dad makes me say
Every day in the car
On the way to school
Over and over again
Until it's a false mantra
Imprinted on my brain
Like ink on the side of
My devil hand
Excel
How the f**k am I
Supposed to analyze styles
And write slam poetry
Like I've got something to say
How am I supposed to
Give you quality work
When every little bit of me
Is spent trying to survive
In this jungle of a life
Convincing myself that I am
A lion
When lions don't even f*****g live
In jungles
So I'm sorry
I f*****g apologize
That I'm a terrible student
And that I don't know what I'm doing
And that I must seem like just another
Lazy a*s kid
But I'm not
I swear I'm not
I want
To show you just how much
I care
But I'm too twisted-tangled
In twine thin mental boundaries
Too close to toppling off the edge
And falling into obscurity
Sir, man
You gotta believe me
I haven't memorized a single word
But every mark on these pages
Gets more and more familiar every
Time my pen hits paper
So Sir
I know it's not your job but
You gotta cut me some slack
Here
I haven't memorized my slam poem
But at least I wrote one and
Here it is
And I guarantee
Every word's the god honest truth
Swear on my iPod
Swear on my computer
Swear on the grave of my parents love
And good grades
And I'm not connecting those together
I'm not making excuses here
I don't want to be the kid
That whines about fate
And everything they don't believe in
Left lying at their feet like
So many unfulfilled dreams

Sir
Don't look at me like that
All I'm asking for
Is an A
Don't you understand what I'm saying
All I need is a good grade
And I won't ask for anything else
Sir
Come on

Reviews

[Tai Chi Italy Take Two]

A+ from Tai.

Some fantabulous lines and also, some very hefty pressure points pressed hard on The Education system NE! You tell it like it is.

A slam not to be forgotten in a hurry.

Smiling at you

[...]

... wow ... astonishing and brilliant ... if i was him ... i'd give you that A ... without a second thought ... (highest rating) ...