Learning

i wrote this instead of writing the required 6-page essay for my english final. the topic...? "what have you learned in high school?".... enjoy!

In high school I’ve learned…

That friends come and go

And family sometimes doesn’t show

What you mean to them.

In high school I’ve learned…

That the outside world is scary

And the REAL monsters hide�"

Not beneath the bed�"

But within your fellow human beings.

In high school I’ve learned…

That grades matter more than

The time spent with friends

And “most likely to get arrested”

Is not something

You’ll want to share with your kids.

In high school I’ve learned…

Crouching alone, awaiting the next blow

Or edict from above

Is NOT the way to get through life�"

But neither is baring your teeth

Snarling at all adversary

Because mother is right�"

Your face WILL freeze like that

Because you’ll grimace for the rest of life

If you’re born frowning.

In high school I’ve learned…

To give life my all

Even if it is thrown back in my face�"

“Rejected’

In high school I’ve learned…

Relationships are fickle creatures

Liable to bite you one second

And smile the sweetest grin the next.

In high school I’ve learned…

Don’t always listen to your elders

Because, sometimes,

Those things they say

Are not true:

“You’ll never amount to anything…”

“I always knew you’d screw it up”

Sometimes the wise

Aren’t very kind, and sometimes

The young and inexperienced

Can become your best friend.

In high school I’ve learned…

Keeping my head down

And paying my dues

Is not advisable

Because every once and a while

The library messes up

And fines you for a book

You’ve never seen before.

And yet�"a blessing in disguise!�"

That very same book may become

Your favorite

And you never would’ve known it existed.

In high school I’ve learned…

Friends sometimes forget about you

But that doesn’t mean that

They don’t love and care for you…

It’s just that AP classes are hard

Demanding and overwhelming

And if you’re not in AP Chemistry

Well… there isn’t much to talk about anymore.

In high school I’ve learned…

Friends sometimes drift away

And even though I’m afraid of the ocean

I have faith that it’ll bring

The best ones back.

In high school I’ve learned…

That sonnets are fun to write

And tankas are interesting too.

In high school I’ve learned…

No one congratulates you anymore

For getting an 85% on your test…

Not even an 100% is worth more

Than two glances…

But sometimes…?

That second glance means everything.

In high school I’ve learned…

My poetry touches others

But what can inspire one

Can confuse another

And sometimes your harshest critic

Is yourself.

In high school I’ve learned…

Moms come in all shapes and sizes

And they don’t always have to

Give birth

To care.

In high school I’ve learned…

No one listens, no one shares

But y’know�"there’s more than a few

Who truly care

And when a teacher tells you

‘You’ve got potential”

…They aren’t trying to make you feel good

Because teachers have learned

To read between the lines

On a piece

Of blank white paper.

In high school I’ve learned…

That family isn’t always friendly

But friends can treat you like family

And at the end of the day…

Kindness matters.

In high school I’ve learned…

One honest compliment

From a total stranger

Can matter more than a hundred

From friends

If those friends

Are lying.

In high school I’ve learned…

Sometimes

I lose sight�"not of the “light”

Because that light at the end of the tunnel

Is likely the train

And poets walk the third rail daily.

No… I lose sight of MYSELF.

And blindly believing is not recommended

But�"is sometimes the only way

To find your way back home.

In high school I’ve learned…

That “home” is a plane of existence

And “happiness” is a frame of mind

And BOTH are created

By oneself.

In high school I’ve learned…

That classrooms are open doorways

Portals to the future…

And the world doesn’t HAVE to understand you

As long as you “get” yourself.

In high school I’ve learned…

That I am beautiful

And I don’t require another’s attention

To feel wanted

As long as I love the “me” inside.

In high school I’ve learned…

It isn’t recommended to hide

When no one is seeking

And sometimes…

Even though the world outside

Looks scary…

The biggest monster you’ll have to conquer

Is hate and your own fear of change.

In high school I’ve learned…

To love.

Reviews

[The Analog Kid]

I love this. A combination of a stream-of-consciousness feel along with some real clever twists. Keep up on the poetry and creative writing. I wish I would have started it much earlier, despite having an English degree. 100/100 and I rarely give ratings....

[Magic plus the mayhem.]

Im going to be in high school next year and I think this pome covers it all. The scary,fun an much more. Thanx 4 the insight. c:

[anne p. murray- LadeeAn..]

Shayla, very many good lessons learned and to learn. We could all learn those lessons even as adults, because, there are many times, we don't know as much as some of our younger generations know. We need to teach one another.
The last 4 stanzas are the most powerful of ALL:

"The biggest monster you’ll have to conquer
Is hate and your own fear of change.
In high school I’ve learned…
To love."

That is absolutely powerful and soooo true

[Silent Knight]

Very nice. It was long, but a good kind of long that you enjoy reading.

[roy mccarthy]

this is a great write,wise words and experiences,
you have learned a lot i see :)