Welcome to secondary school

The teachers’ voices were loud and shrill, but there was just one message, “everyone sit still!”, though it was hard on the parquet floor, in polyester trousers, bought the week before, the first year head took to the stage, like his long black cloak, he was from another age, our welcome to school it wasn’t the best, being told we were failures, in eleven plus tests, brought up on praise for autumn verses, I was shocked to hear, we’d never be silk purses, talents and abilities didn’t get a mention, from the stretched and burnt out staff, longing for their pension, all around the system was failing, I looked out of the window, to life beyond the railings.