A college degree.

A loving wife with two, maybe three kids.
A suburban house with a white picket fence, with a dog that
tried to dig underneath that fence, maybe because it’s more
aware of the systematic monotony that’s going on.

A minivan to take the two flawless children,
first to soccer, then to dance.
A meaningless job
in a meaningless room
wearing meaningless clothes
making meaningless money
paying for our children to live a meaningless life.

And we wonder why we have a youth suicide problem.

Your smile glistens with the morning’s joy,
Your hair shines with children’s laughter,
Your eyes radiate with a deity’s wisdom,
Your voice speaks with the melody of a nightingale.

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
I SAW [them] STANDING THERE.
BOYS in STRAWBERRY FIELDS.
in their YELLOW SUBMARINE.
IN MY LIFE when I need HELP
to CARRY THAT WEIGHT,
they DON'T LET ME DOWN.
I’d listen to them
EIGHT DAYS A WEEK if I could.
They are HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE,
DOWN THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD
when I have LONESOME TEARS IN MY EYES.
The band that caused a REVOLUTION
and made people TWIST AND SHOUT
and COME TOGETHER.
BECAUSE,
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE.

Can I use the can?
May we end school in May?
Let's book it to find the right book.
Then let's play and go see a play.
I found a pen inside the pig's pen.
I hope the stable door is stable.
I have to watch the time with my watch.
Can I buy a fish net on the Net?
Who coined the term for a silver coin?
I keep my drawers inside a drawer.
I'm quite a fan of your ceiling fan.
The girl with the bow gave a courteous bow.
I put the model plane on a level plane.
It is plain to see the barn across the plain.
He hurt his back from bending back.
A horse will rear if you slap its rear.

To every song there is a start,
a spark of life within the heart
which flickers, and begins to grow,
and smoother it begins to flow,
Weaving words of wholesome hope
that in grave times do help us cope.
Our sweet solemnity does intertwine,
and with our God's great Love divine
parts the sea of our own pain,
and pures our heart in celestial rain,
Soaked into the heavens above;
all our sorrows transformed to Love.
And nearer comes the melodic end,
when to our Maker we must ascend,
For every song must come to cease
in order that we may find our peace.

Take comfort knowing someone's there.
Many people who desperately care
About you.
Take comfort knowing you're not alone.
There are people on the phone
For you.
Remember why you're here on Earth.
Remember all the things you're worth
And all you do.
Don't let the darkness trap you in.
We will fight them off and win
For you.
And when your time comes to go,
Remember that we love you so
And so should you.

They can't hear you, mute one.
Their ears are clogged with the commotion of their worlds,
The sound of machines whirring out their life.

They can't see you, invisible one.
They see themselves bathed in power, fame, money.
You are blinded out by the stage floodlights as imaginary crowds of lifeless onlookers chant their names.

They can't feel you, numb one.
They only feel the rush of blood as they trample their way to the finish line.
Their feet rolling over every limb and bone of the unfit.

They can't love you, lonely one.
It's not their fault. They've been ****** into a vacuum that emits a stench of greed and rotten flesh. Even their tombstones had to outdo the rest.