Cause that's most people care about these days
Just to get yourself an A

Cause if school says that you are great
Maybe something in your life could change

Life is not about an A
It is something far more greater
That just meaningless accomplishments
Marked upon some written pages

Wanna have a job someday
Wanna live the life you want
Start to learn the stuff you like
Out of pleasure and for fun
Not to hear a guy one day
" Good job, you got an A "

I was always a little
                                          D
              ­                                 E
                                                   L
                                                        I
     ­                                                       C
        ­                                                         A
                                                               ­       T
                                                        ­                   E
And have always been  a f r a i d
Of  f a l l i n g  a p a r t
Until I met you

Then I wasn't so scared anymore
That was before
I messed up
You had filled my cup
But now it only has a sip left
There was a theft
I gave you my heart
Now I'm left with only part
But that's okay -

Hey,
I can be patient until things calm down
I might frown
But that's just because I miss you
And I'm wondering if you miss me too

Wrote you a letter
Gonna send it once things get better
But for now
I wonder how
Everything went so wrong
But I'll just work on making things right
As my hope takes flight
That maybe one day
You'll be able (and want) to come back and say
You want me back

For now, Love,
I'm waiting for you
And I will do
Whatever it takes
To be okay
While you are away
And to be myself
Instead of letting it sit on a shelf

Love is fragile
It takes a while
To be steady
And it cracks
But gets patched up
We would lie on our backs
Talk about when we are grown up
Now you've got to go focus
I think I'll grow some crocus
Flowers to admire
I'll sit by the fire
To warm my half-a-heart
While we are apart

Darling, I will wait
This is fate
Right?
For now, there's no one to hold me tight
Memories of your arms around me
All of our memories - they won't leave me be
Because I'm so in love with you
And I really hope you still are too

I'll be here
My dear
Waiting for you
Do what you need to do
Then I hope you'll come find me
And we can be
Just you and me
Once again

- Jay M
March 5th, 2020

Right and left
Up and down
Clockwise
Counterclockwise
I can't see it

Again and
Again and
Again and
    Again

THEY DON’T FIT

I feel my jaw clench
The muscles in my neck tighten
My heart racing
I chew my lips raw

I CANNOT MAKE THIS WORK!

I don’t need to look at the clock
I can feel the second hand spinning in my brain
Faster for me than the others

I WON’T GET THIS DONE IN TIME!

Sweat and tears dampen my face
My table is a mess of materials
None of the parts fit for me the way they do for everyone else
I hate myself and my useless brain

I’M GOING TO FAIL
I’M GOING TO FAIL

"Time’s up
Turn in your projects"

I AM A FAILURE

Again

Mijn school is als een eerste thuis
Het tweede komt er nog niet bij
Zodra ik door de deur heen loop
Voel ik me bijna geketend vrij

De zon schijnt langzaam door de ramen
Ik heb uitzicht op de lucht
In de klas heerst er een vage stilte
Met alleen af en toe een zucht

Ik ben omringd door zo veel mensen
En ik kan nergens meer naartoe
Maar daar staan mijn vrienden weer
En dan is de rest van de wereld taboe

En als ik langzaam door de gangen loop
In stilte ongestoord
Dan voel ik me veilig hier
En niet alleen, zoals het hoort

Soles spotted with blood

Soul knotted

Oh—suffocating flood

Wash the pavement

Saddening memories of love

The human mind
remains bleeding edge,
but no one pays for
attic salt,
the best shall walk away
from the spaghettification
of the school system.

And roman candles
will go unlit.

Where's your résumé, Johnny?
He will hunt-and-peck
to create, lest ever
comprehend, his future
as a basement
mixologist,
'cause no one cares
to drink in education.

And his roman candle
will go unlit.

Classrooms are a thirstland,
an empty canteen,
pre-loved Maggie
—she'll graduate
quite parched,
assuredly vagarious,
modeling merkins
for period piece ****.

And her roman candle
will sadly go unlit.