Cattle
They keep us turning down the halls like cattle
Keep your eyes up
Face forward
No phones
Stay in routine
You’ve done this for so many years now
No distractions
Don’t look at the broken people next to you
Face forward
A girl at your school killed herself because of the bullying
Study hard
They found a bullet at a high school
No phones
The gun was never found
Wait until the bell rings
A girl was sexually assaulted
No sleeping in class
Keep walking, walking, walking
Don’t look at the stripes lining peoples arms
Stop talking while I’m teaching
Don’t stare at the faint mascara streaks running down her face
Turn to page 34
Stop looking at the boy who is googling how to make a pipe bomb during study hall
Raise your hand
How dare you talk badly about the baseball player who raped you
I’ll give you assigned seats if you don’t stop talking
Don’t worry about the girl who weighs 80 pounds, guidance counselors will take care of her
Did I say you could talk
The girl is threatening to overdose in the school bathroom
What’s the answer to this problem on the board
We are not watching out for our peers
We are not being active enough to make a change
I have woken up too many times from a nightmare of a school shooting
Of a suicide
Of a sexual assault
These are everyday problems
But our schools are deciding to ignore them
Many of us are uncertain of the future
Whether or not we will live to see another day
Either by our own hands or someone else’s
Will we have the strength to continue
To not jump in front of the bullet?
I can’t guarantee that I wouldn’t take that opportunity
But the school keeps up moving forward
Keep walking down the narrow halls
Heads up
No distractions
Like cattle
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12/12/2018
'A Sad Christmas' - December 2018 Writing Challenge - Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Dear Heart
Copyright © Ashley Beach | Year Posted 2018
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