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"classroom" poems
"No more questions? Let's move on to the next topic" Mula nang mawala ka, Sa bawat pagkakataong Banggitin iyan ng aking mga **** Napapatanga ako at itinatanong sa sarili, "Ganon lang ba kadali yun?" Sana kasing dali Ng paglipat ng pahina ng aking libro Ang paglipat ng puso ko mula sayo, pabalik sakin Sana kasing dali Ng pagbura ng marka ng lapis sa kuwaderno Ang pagbura ng alaala mo sa aking isipan Sana kasing dali Ng paglabas pasok ng mga **** sa silid Ang paglabas pasok mo sa aking mundo Sana pero hindi Dahil tila nasa bawat pahina ka ng aking libro Dahil tila marka ng bolpen ang pilit kong ibinubura Dahil tila nakalabas ka na ngunit pilit kitang inaanyayahang bumalik Kahit ilang pagsasanay, pagsusulit, at oral recitations pa Sana bumalik ka Pero hindi. "No more questions? Let's move on to the next topic" Paano nga naman kasi ako makakausad Kung isipan ko'y punong-puno pa rin ng katanungan
0
Feb 11, 2016
Feb 11, 2016 at 3:42 AM UTC
Classroom Hugot
“only” the lonely know (my special sign) {=} an incurable silence the meaningless, wasted touch of a hand, attached, directed by them from them to them a failed reassurance a classroom, a stadium, cornfield or grove, so many nutted fallen solitaries fallen to rot midst a globe of trillions never noticed, never missed the silly conceptual that the lonely, special unique, blessed with a curse, a specialist status, “only” they afflicted; with a ken that isolates and yet feels elevated - oh! I am special show me one, just one, human who doesn’t truly believe, they are the onliest loneliest and you will vision each and every lonely person who secret sighs and whose first thoughts are only: god spare me one more day of being, fearful of achieving my very own knowing, in the invisible place, the incurable silence award, reward of another purple heart, “only” the lonely service ribbon, my Cain marker ~my special sign~
0
Jul 23, 2018
Jul 23, 2018 at 4:09 PM UTC
"only” the lonely know (my special sign)
Heard a beeping sound Followed by A very old Frank Sinatra’s song My classmates’ heads turned Who’s phone? who’s phone? Less chaotic when the teacher glared Everybody put their heads down And checked their sophisticated mobile phones Once again... When the teacher wasn’t looking.. Mobile phones roamed in a dull classroom Updating facebook status, Uploading candid photos of a snoring friend Copy pasting assignment Text messaging and gossiping about their stern looking teacher In the name of advanced technology Mobile smartphones create the impossibles... Beyond the blackboard and the four walls of the classroom O o Frank Sinatra’s song again... And everybody started looking... The teacher grabbed her mobile phone Tried to switch it off.... When students could own smartphones.. Who needs NOKIA from the old time zone....? ~ Sharina~
0
Jun 13, 2013
Jun 13, 2013 at 4:26 AM UTC
My teacher’s cell phone
Memories of my school days, I remember being in class, It seems like only yesterday, Now the years have come to pass. Looking back in years gone by, There were happy times and sad, Playing in the school yard, The lessons weren't all that bad. I didn't like maths at all in class, My favourite was always art, I always enjoyed the break times, A fight would sometimes start. We had assembly in the mornings, We would sing and we would pray, Walk in single file to the classroom, I loved coming home each day. The happiest times of our lives, They went so quick somehow, My school days are all over, They are all behind me now.
0
Jul 26, 2012
Jul 26, 2012 at 6:57 AM UTC
School Memories.
Biology has no conscience It doesn't care about love It cares about reproduction Biology does not care if someone gets hurt in the process Biology does not care if he was your boyfriend Fiance Husband Biology has no sympathy Lust is not the same as love But often it is mistaken as such 4 letters 3 out of the 4 make all the difference You are part of an on going experiment Observed by a classroom of billions Constantly watching Constantly scrutinizing Harshly graded by a force that you couldn't comprehend Don't try to change this People have tried to change this for longer than you could imagine Embrace it
0
Apr 26, 2014
Apr 26, 2014 at 1:20 AM UTC
Biology
I watch their footsteps I listen to their laughs Sometimes I wonder why They keep joking about love. I walk into the classroom The boys are being rude The girls are gossiping Sometimes I wonder if I fit in here. I sit on the desk, preparing myself The teacher comes in He looks very tired, like I'm Sometimes I wonder if He wants to die--like I'd. I start the exam, numbers are running inside my head I look around to see if everyone's noticing I look down at the paper and Pull out a pencil from the pencil case and Stab my throat. While the blood are rushing on my shirt and down to my legs I wonder why They keep joking about love.
0
Dec 10, 2014
Dec 10, 2014 at 4:05 AM UTC
Final Exam.
The jungle makes its calls, welling up from hollows beyond. Monkeys and wild things make their way through the spaces in between, rapping from unseen places on long barriers and marking their territory. Sounds of birdsong fill the air calling out to all too few. Others prowl the paths looking for prey in caves and behind walls. Packs of banshees laugh as the chorus grows until the final call. The last bell rings all are free run for home.
0
Aug 20, 2012
Aug 20, 2012 at 8:43 PM UTC
THE CLASSROOM JUNGLE
3-2-2017 (unknown date of origin) Something's wrong... you don't belong here. I said, looking down at the pineapple on my pizza. I said, looking down at the ketchup on my macaroni. I said, looking down at the cream of mushroom soup on my meatloaf. He said, looking down at me and my boyfriend, holding hands in public. Like I'm a creep.  I'm a ****** What the hell am I doing here? I don't belong here. You see there's these things that we learn at the dinner table. When we're kids we have certain items served to us on our plates. Whatever doesn't end up there, isn't a part of the discussion. After all, they say if you don't have a seat at the table, you are likely to be on the menu. So, when ****** orientation and gender identity aren't seated at the table of childhood, they get served for the first time in unexpected places.   Like an avante garde celebrity chef's designer meal, prepared for critiques by the food bloggers.   They get served in college classroom debates or in dorm rooms with freshman roommates.   They're on the menu in in some movies but served with a side of stereotypes and silly trope toppings.   They get grinded into glitter dust sprinkled on the annual PRIDE Parades like an overly salty seasoning mix.   They're on the menu in workplace diversity trainings, but too little too late - they get lost in the marginalized buffet.   They get served at the oppression Olympics, or actually at the Olympics unwillingly by a journalist who only pretends to eat a well-balanced diet, but really has LGBT food allergies,  if you know what I mean. In reality, these should be staple dishes consumed by commoners, consumed by you and me, consumed by children along with their healthy daily dose of broccoli and cauliflower, squash and zucchini, even eggplant.   They should be in every ******* cookbook with pictures and all different kinds of recipes! I want every child to have gay on their dinner plate, lesbian lunch, gender nonconforming on the brunch menu, and bisexual breakfast.   And everything in between in the queer spectrum served during snack breaks.   I want every child to look down at their plate and see pineapple pizza and say, gee that looks great!   I love all of the pizza toppings, no matter whether gay or nay. ... except for anchovies, of course.
0
Mar 2, 2017
Mar 2, 2017 at 4:28 AM UTC
Pineapple Pizza
3-2-2017 (unknown date of origin) Something's wrong... you don't belong here. I said, looking down at the pineapple on my pizza. I said, looking down at the ketchup on my macaroni. I said, looking down at the cream of mushroom soup on my meatloaf. He said, looking down at me and my boyfriend, holding hands in public. Like I'm a creep.  I'm a ****** What the hell am I doing here? I don't belong here. You see there's these things that we learn at the dinner table. When we're kids we have certain items served to us on our plates. Whatever doesn't end up there, isn't a part of the discussion. After all, they say if you don't have a seat at the table, you are likely to be on the menu. So, when ****** orientation and gender identity aren't seated at the table of childhood, they get served for the first time in unexpected places.   Like an avante garde celebrity chef's designer meal, prepared for critiques by the food bloggers.   They get served in college classroom debates or in dorm rooms with freshman roommates.   They're on the menu in in some movies but served with a side of stereotypes and silly trope toppings.   They get grinded into glitter dust sprinkled on the annual PRIDE Parades like an overly salty seasoning mix.   They're on the menu in workplace diversity trainings, but too little too late - they get lost in the marginalized buffet.   They get served at the oppression Olympics, or actually at the Olympics unwillingly by a journalist who only pretends to eat a well-balanced diet, but really has LGBT food allergies,  if you know what I mean. In reality, these should be staple dishes consumed by commoners, consumed by you and me, consumed by children along with their healthy daily dose of broccoli and cauliflower, squash and zucchini, even eggplant.   They should be in every ******* cookbook with pictures and all different kinds of recipes! I want every child to have gay on their dinner plate, lesbian lunch, gender nonconforming on the brunch menu, and bisexual breakfast.   And everything in between in the queer spectrum served during snack breaks.   I want every child to look down at their plate and see pineapple pizza and say, gee that looks great!   I love all of the pizza toppings, no matter whether gay or nay. ... except for anchovies, of course.
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26
She is the house that built me when my heart had nowhere to grow and hers are the hands that held me when i was scared to be alone she catches me every time i fall like it was her assignment at birth and she makes me feel like in this world i finally have some worth she has taught me lessons i could have never learned in a classroom sitting behind a desk she is the reason my heart is still beating in this tiny chest and even if i only see her when she's home for holidays or if i pay the airlines to take me across the states my favorite part of this world is only a text or call away it is so hard to put her into words because she is so much more than i could ever describe and i want her to know, and you to know that she is the sunlight in my skies she holds me together i am the storm and she is the better weather and whether or not i have promised it before, i am hers forever.
0
Apr 14, 2014
Apr 14, 2014 at 1:45 AM UTC
a love letter to my best friend
I walk through campus wearing black leggings and those faded, leather boots. I’m even wearing an infinity scarf I bought full price at Anthropologie and a pair of tiger-striped cat eye sunglasses. **** I look good. On top of it, I’m smoking a Parliament menthol, my red-lined lips whipping smoke into the dead air, creating a grey cloud that some would call cancerous and others, **** But no one notices me, and, candidly, I am okay with that because I notice me, and I am a big red dance button that demands to be pushed. So, I push myself and groove down the brown brick road all the way to classroom 114 in the science building.
0
Jan 9, 2016
Jan 9, 2016 at 3:42 PM UTC
To class
It takes a special person to know who you are, to know what to say, to touch your heart. It takes a special person who really cares, to make a connection with someone in hours, that take other people years. You're this special person, you do all this and more. I spread out my wings, but you helped me soar. I chose to learn, but you made me stay. The extra period I spend learning is what makes my days. It takes a special person to help me see, my potential and who I can be. You gave me hope when I thought all was lost. You may think you've done nothing, but you've done a lot. I can say I am a better person because of you. All from spending one period with you. From the day you walked in the classroom, I could see something special about you. It wasn't because of your beauty or your really nice hair. I could sense a radiance of inspiration flowing throwing the air. And an inspiration you are, you leave me in awe. You are a very rare breed, one of a kind. You saw a light in me and you helped it shine. You are a very special person Ms. Haggith, you are. For you helped me see that I was a star. That I could go places, that I was great. You gave me an unbelievable amount of faith. An inspiration, you are one of a kind. I hope you are given the chance to help other student shine.
0
May 17, 2013
May 17, 2013 at 1:18 AM UTC
One of a Kind
We were boys, once. Our mother liked to dress us in tailored suits and leather shoes. Every Sunday morning. Ready bright and early for mass at 11. We'd sit in the classroom at the back of the old church hall. After mass. After the chatter of voices hushed down to whispers; virtuous gossip. Our teacher fed us images of hellfire and brimstone. *** and sin. Satan in a red cape and Halloween horns. He didn't always look like that. Oh, no. Mother said that he'd come out all dressed in a suit like mine. He'd be handsome! His voice would be a choir of one billion ****** souls and once you'd hear it, you'd never want it to stop. In my eight-year-old mind, I wondered what he did and what he felt when his own father cursed his name. Did he stare at his dad with his thousand-eyes? Did he protest? Did he laugh as he fell? In a cascade of feathers and blood. Maybe he was better off without him. He'd spend the rest of eternity trying to prove his father wrong. That he was worthy of his love: That he would be the only son to grieve for the mistake of humanity. The holy adversary. The one who would shout his love for The Lord until his throat cracked dry and his chest ached. He, who could see the suffering of his father's own creations. He, who tempted Eve and proved God wrong and we were flawed from the very beginning. Did he watch Eve eat the apple and savor every bite? He loved his father. Did he deserve it? I stopped going to church on my eighteenth birthday. What kind of parent would **** one son and praise the other? Who would let one son be nailed to a board and the other to rot in flames? Even as a child, I knew. Through every slap, scold and bruise. I would never bow.
0
Jan 23, 2017
Jan 23, 2017 at 9:32 AM UTC
Adversary
We were boys, once. Our mother liked to dress us in tailored suits and leather shoes. Every Sunday morning. Ready bright and early for mass at 11. We'd sit in the classroom at the back of the old church hall. After mass. After the chatter of voices hushed down to whispers; virtuous gossip. Our teacher fed us images of hellfire and brimstone. *** and sin. Satan in a red cape and Halloween horns. He didn't always look like that. Oh, no. Mother said that he'd come out all dressed in a suit like mine. He'd be handsome! His voice would be a choir of one billion ****** souls and once you'd hear it, you'd never want it to stop. In my eight-year-old mind, I wondered what he did and what he felt when his own father cursed his name. Did he stare at his dad with his thousand-eyes? Did he protest? Did he laugh as he fell? In a cascade of feathers and blood. Maybe he was better off without him. He'd spend the rest of eternity trying to prove his father wrong. That he was worthy of his love: That he would be the only son to grieve for the mistake of humanity. The holy adversary. The one who would shout his love for The Lord until his throat cracked dry and his chest ached. He, who could see the suffering of his father's own creations. He, who tempted Eve and proved God wrong and we were flawed from the very beginning. Did he watch Eve eat the apple and savor every bite? He loved his father. Did he deserve it? I stopped going to church on my eighteenth birthday. What kind of parent would **** one son and praise the other? Who would let one son be nailed to a board and the other to rot in flames? Even as a child, I knew. Through every slap, scold and bruise. I would never bow.
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28
I knew a kid in highschool Rather to say I knew him would be an overstatement, He was a friend of a friend at most, The boy that sat directly in front of me in my economics class Second seat from the right, second to last from the back The corner of the classroom between the whiteboard wall and the windows I remember that scene like a diagram, I couldn’t tell you anything I learned from the class but, I knew a kid in highschool He was best friends with my childhood best friend He wasn’t quiet, wasn’t loud- he was a normal highschool boy I remember the last words I said to him Well not quite, I remember the vague idea Something along the lines of it only gets worse He was talking about the theoretic project where we role played Each kid acting out as if they were in the real world He said he was overwhelmed by the amount of work I told him it only gets worse I knew a kid in highschool He killed himself during the weekend The Monday they announced in I was sick I was sick His obituary isn’t up on the internet anymore Neither is his facebook, he is nothing but a yearbook page The page to a book I couldn’t afford He is a memory on bookshelves filled with dust I knew a kid in highschool but I had to ask a friend to confirm his existence That I didn’t just make up a daydreamed suicide I’m so tired of wondering what’s left of us when we die I spend most of my life running from evidence of my existence No photos, no yearbooks, nothing with me or my name I knew a kid in highschool
0
Jul 2, 2019
Jul 2, 2019 at 4:28 AM UTC
I knew a kid
I knew a kid in highschool Rather to say I knew him would be an overstatement, He was a friend of a friend at most, The boy that sat directly in front of me in my economics class Second seat from the right, second to last from the back The corner of the classroom between the whiteboard wall and the windows I remember that scene like a diagram, I couldn’t tell you anything I learned from the class but, I knew a kid in highschool He was best friends with my childhood best friend He wasn’t quiet, wasn’t loud- he was a normal highschool boy I remember the last words I said to him Well not quite, I remember the vague idea Something along the lines of it only gets worse He was talking about the theoretic project where we role played Each kid acting out as if they were in the real world He said he was overwhelmed by the amount of work I told him it only gets worse I knew a kid in highschool He killed himself during the weekend The Monday they announced in I was sick I was sick His obituary isn’t up on the internet anymore Neither is his facebook, he is nothing but a yearbook page The page to a book I couldn’t afford He is a memory on bookshelves filled with dust I knew a kid in highschool but I had to ask a friend to confirm his existence That I didn’t just make up a daydreamed suicide I’m so tired of wondering what’s left of us when we die I spend most of my life running from evidence of my existence No photos, no yearbooks, nothing with me or my name I knew a kid in highschool
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32
i don't really know what it feels like to be in love but i think the clouds look nice about an hour before sunset when it seems like everything is submerged underneath a blanket of cotton or maybe in the morning, when the sky is so blue but the clouds are so sad and so soft like the froth that sits on top of my soda in the summertime when its hot or right before a sunset when the clouds are dripping gold and the sky seems to soak up all of their honey, honey like the bottles tucked away in the pantry, honey like the eyes of the spiral-haired boy living across the street and i sit and watch how beautiful the sky is from the sweet-smelling sheets of my bed or the lonely window in my classroom or the passenger seat of my father's car and think of how beautiful it must be to be in love
0
Apr 21, 2018
Apr 21, 2018 at 8:13 AM UTC
the sky and the clouds
The classroom is cold. Dead and old. The classroom is silent. Dead and quiet. The classroom is empty. Dead and alone. Yet this classroom is so similar to my home. Old... Quiet... And empty... Yes the definition of dead.
0
Jan 27, 2016
Jan 27, 2016 at 12:20 PM UTC
Classroom or house
She stands before the class Her voice rings loud and clear Each word beautifully enunciated For all who wish to hear The perennial English teacher She reads with such dramatics and flair Such a pity that its only noticed by students in the first few chairs She's reading out my poem She paints pictures with her words But honestly? Sometimes I find Her explanations quite absurd No, That's not what I meant! Dear teacher, stop twisting my verse! Dear students, please notice the flaws In the story she so carefully rehearsed It's amazing how sometimes she understands The thought and feelings of what I wrote And sometimes she gets it so very wrong That I want to strangle her throat She continues unperturbed By the lack of interest in the room Students only see her smile and energy Not her disappointment and gloom She worked so hard to teach them, A little appreciation would go far! But they just sit and pretend to listen As they wait for the end for the hour Finally, she comes across That fateful line The one that sparks a discussion I watch the class come to life In a tsunami of opinions, She smiles proudly, riding the wave She launches into her explanation And it's the completely wrong one she gave Its one of many misinterpretations Of my carefully crafted work There! That student! She understands what I meant! Now now, don't tell her she's wrong. Don't be a **** A debate ensues and words fly The classroom divides into two. Half are on my side, dear teacher And the other half believe you. Out of the blue, the bell rings For once the students want more time! A pat on the back for the English teacher. This victory is both hers and mine So what if she gets it wrong sometimes? So what what if she's too dramatic? Sometimes she's just unreasonable She's your average literature fanatic She always gets her point across Without having to scream and shout She teaches the students the value of words Isn't that what it's all about?
0
Aug 21, 2014
Aug 21, 2014 at 10:21 AM UTC
The English Teacher
She stands before the class Her voice rings loud and clear Each word beautifully enunciated For all who wish to hear The perennial English teacher She reads with such dramatics and flair Such a pity that its only noticed by students in the first few chairs She's reading out my poem She paints pictures with her words But honestly? Sometimes I find Her explanations quite absurd No, That's not what I meant! Dear teacher, stop twisting my verse! Dear students, please notice the flaws In the story she so carefully rehearsed It's amazing how sometimes she understands The thought and feelings of what I wrote And sometimes she gets it so very wrong That I want to strangle her throat She continues unperturbed By the lack of interest in the room Students only see her smile and energy Not her disappointment and gloom She worked so hard to teach them, A little appreciation would go far! But they just sit and pretend to listen As they wait for the end for the hour Finally, she comes across That fateful line The one that sparks a discussion I watch the class come to life In a tsunami of opinions, She smiles proudly, riding the wave She launches into her explanation And it's the completely wrong one she gave Its one of many misinterpretations Of my carefully crafted work There! That student! She understands what I meant! Now now, don't tell her she's wrong. Don't be a **** A debate ensues and words fly The classroom divides into two. Half are on my side, dear teacher And the other half believe you. Out of the blue, the bell rings For once the students want more time! A pat on the back for the English teacher. This victory is both hers and mine So what if she gets it wrong sometimes? So what what if she's too dramatic? Sometimes she's just unreasonable She's your average literature fanatic She always gets her point across Without having to scream and shout She teaches the students the value of words Isn't that what it's all about?
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56
There are wolves in the classroom. They sit and stare watching, waiting sniffing the air for a hint of blood. Remember Red There are wolves in the classroom. You have to tread carefully, cautiously Lest their teeth Sink into your soft flesh. There are wolves in the classroom Whimpering, growling and howling, Gently now, be wary now *Remember Red, Remember.*
0
Dec 21, 2014
Dec 21, 2014 at 10:55 PM UTC
Wolves in the Classroom
those **** trolls fish for gloom baiting your roses and bloom behind their mask and costume a guise filled with malice loom there spans from the beasts womb a monster preying your doom they take your light to dark displume like fishes facing the jaws of gloom eliot watches schools get entomb like a stepping stone to their fume it takes no rocket scientist's broom to sweep the trolls from the classroom nears the hour of our death, trolls resume Logan Robertson 8/21/2018
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Aug 21, 2018
Aug 21, 2018 at 9:00 PM UTC
Those ****** Trolls
I do not understand... In school, When we were young, We learned to respect others, and treat everybody as an equal But those who taught us To not be disrespectful are the ones who choose favorite students In the classroom, by the teachers, maybe some of us are not equal ...they are the hypocrites...
0
May 14, 2014
May 14, 2014 at 12:08 PM UTC
Hypocrite
She is not noticed at the back of the classroom The teacher does not raise his head giving her the comfort of his attention towards her unanswered questions She is ashamed of her silentness He is noticed by every girl at the front of the classroom The teacher will give him a good talking to once he asks for his attention to said questions He is tired of his noise She left class in a rush He took his sweet time She went home with her drunk parents fighting She fled to her room with music She did not say a word today or yesterday He went home drunk fighting with his parents He went to his room and started playing the guitar He had said too many words that he now regrets She, the next day, went back to the classroom He, the next day, went back to the classroom Her eyes for the very first time meeting with his
0
Nov 17, 2013
Nov 17, 2013 at 4:19 PM UTC
The Eyes of the Classroom
A pin drop silence An unusual serene calmness A solemn way to start a day in an empty classroom Even the softest moan... the loudest roar Sighed... counting my own breathing as I was fidgeting to and fro in an empty classroom... 123 my heart was beating slow 456 my heart was moving faster 789 my heart was thunderous! blood boiled up to the head... from cheerful to moody from pretty to ugly smiles... yawns.. smirks... temper! the veins fighting in the face... dark red with anger burst! A sudden... gentle knock on the door.. broke the golden silence a sweet angel walked in with head held down "GOOD MORNING TEACHER" Applause... Applause... Applause... Thank you to the sweetest soul.. An empty classroom came to live...
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Aug 30, 2013
Aug 30, 2013 at 11:58 PM UTC
An Empty Classroom
As a college freshman I find myself time traveling. I close my eyes and I appear in the classroom where a group of over-confident, lazy, too smart for their own **** good students stood on the precipice between leaving and staying regretting and dreaming. Leaving would give us freedom Leaving would fill the creases of our palms with sweat We kept our palms outstretched and empty not daring to grasp anymore of home because the weight would only anchor us to the vines we spent 13 years unraveling from our ankles. Maybe we should not have been so eager to leave, maybe this is a mistake. The girl with the mermaid hair The boy with books stacked in a corner of his desk They both, we all, sat dreaming about the same thing while Ophelia drowned herself in the river Shores of the ocean and city skylines Classrooms that did not feel like cages and eyes that did not reflect a memory every time you glanced into them In a high school English class, a group of over-confident, lazy, too smart for their own **** good students, stood terrified and mystified stood united in there persistence to become something more than test scores and the ability to memorize facts. Fact: Some mornings I walk to class and I can feel the girl with the mermaid hair in Los Angeles walking beside me and when I sit down I can see books stacked on a corner of a desk somewhere in Berkeley. I wonder if they wake in their bed and hear airplane engines roaring somewhere above a valley. The engines roar with warning. sometimes it sounds like hope. Baby, something is coming, we promise We all began at the start, dreaming as one and fearing as one Today, she is five spaces forward He is ten spaces forward The others are halfway down the **** board and I find myself back at the start every few weeks. Four spaces forward then three spaces back-- I don't know where I am going. But I know where I have been. I open my eyes. A college freshman. I hear the engines roar above me. Something is coming.
0
Mar 20, 2013
Mar 20, 2013 at 8:42 PM UTC
college freshman.
As a college freshman I find myself time traveling. I close my eyes and I appear in the classroom where a group of over-confident, lazy, too smart for their own **** good students stood on the precipice between leaving and staying regretting and dreaming. Leaving would give us freedom Leaving would fill the creases of our palms with sweat We kept our palms outstretched and empty not daring to grasp anymore of home because the weight would only anchor us to the vines we spent 13 years unraveling from our ankles. Maybe we should not have been so eager to leave, maybe this is a mistake. The girl with the mermaid hair The boy with books stacked in a corner of his desk They both, we all, sat dreaming about the same thing while Ophelia drowned herself in the river Shores of the ocean and city skylines Classrooms that did not feel like cages and eyes that did not reflect a memory every time you glanced into them In a high school English class, a group of over-confident, lazy, too smart for their own **** good students, stood terrified and mystified stood united in there persistence to become something more than test scores and the ability to memorize facts. Fact: Some mornings I walk to class and I can feel the girl with the mermaid hair in Los Angeles walking beside me and when I sit down I can see books stacked on a corner of a desk somewhere in Berkeley. I wonder if they wake in their bed and hear airplane engines roaring somewhere above a valley. The engines roar with warning. sometimes it sounds like hope. Baby, something is coming, we promise We all began at the start, dreaming as one and fearing as one Today, she is five spaces forward He is ten spaces forward The others are halfway down the **** board and I find myself back at the start every few weeks. Four spaces forward then three spaces back-- I don't know where I am going. But I know where I have been. I open my eyes. A college freshman. I hear the engines roar above me. Something is coming.
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62
my intelligence is not defined by a number, nor a letter. nor should I be graded on a curve by people who don’t know me. What does knowing the pythagorean theorem have to do with me being a good person? what will memorizing words on a page help me with my rage raging about how education has become this conveyor belt chewing up and spitting out society’s warped up idea of intelligence. Throw me in a classroom with twenty-something students just to tell me I’m better than him but not as smart as her teachers saturating our brains with force fed textbook equations telling us this is what we have to know to make it “make it on time”, they say “Passing it in late is not okay” but when I am eventually thrown out of this conveyor belt of education the realization will be that life does not have a set schedule. my life will not change on time, as you ask I cannot cram my creativity onto a five-paragraph piece of paper. I cannot crunch my knowledge down onto six pages about who I am Don’t give me guidelines my future does not have guidelines you think you’re teaching us information but in reality, you’re teaching us around the system of how to get a passing grade but not the exceeding knowledge knowledge about what? Our history? what about our future? We can’t learn about our future by staring at a blackboard in a dim-lit room with twenty-something other people wondering what the hell we’re doing here but being too scared to stand up and ask.
0
Apr 4, 2013
Apr 4, 2013 at 1:47 PM UTC
Intelligence
my intelligence is not defined by a number, nor a letter. nor should I be graded on a curve by people who don’t know me. What does knowing the pythagorean theorem have to do with me being a good person? what will memorizing words on a page help me with my rage raging about how education has become this conveyor belt chewing up and spitting out society’s warped up idea of intelligence. Throw me in a classroom with twenty-something students just to tell me I’m better than him but not as smart as her teachers saturating our brains with force fed textbook equations telling us this is what we have to know to make it “make it on time”, they say “Passing it in late is not okay” but when I am eventually thrown out of this conveyor belt of education the realization will be that life does not have a set schedule. my life will not change on time, as you ask I cannot cram my creativity onto a five-paragraph piece of paper. I cannot crunch my knowledge down onto six pages about who I am Don’t give me guidelines my future does not have guidelines you think you’re teaching us information but in reality, you’re teaching us around the system of how to get a passing grade but not the exceeding knowledge knowledge about what? Our history? what about our future? We can’t learn about our future by staring at a blackboard in a dim-lit room with twenty-something other people wondering what the hell we’re doing here but being too scared to stand up and ask.
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I let you go to Philadelphia I let you go thirteen goin' on “life” to your momma-- (God rest her-- and keep you --from wherever she is) to your father in Philly outa the picture Sheepish in the doorway of my classroom back again one last time-- Say good-bye, kid, to your short stay in Scranton a town that can't rhyme whose name falls over its own misery No use for outsiders “Where's your book? Found your binder in the rain Soggy protest to school's demands? Of course it's yours I checked, ya know” "No way!" Desk's been empty, three weeks now Still, gotta ask “Whacha doin? Where ya been?” “Khmir, I'm sorry for your loss....” Thirty seconds shares our grief Thirty seconds for your future's-- all I got “Listen to your teachers! Do your work! Please-- be okay?” Khmir in your wooly black coat-- like a bear like a dare shruggin and dancin in the doorway of the “show” Homework? Aint happenin' But one paper, though on why-- YOU-- should be president and I almost vote for you
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Oct 24, 2016
Oct 24, 2016 at 3:24 PM UTC
Khamir