in school
we were taught
to say but not to follow
the golden rule
we learned
clear speech and calculations
invented histories
concise writing and
we yearned
for connection
between textbooks
our lives in boxes
but always looking
outward, forward, ahead
the land
sea, air, forests
dying slowly or quickly
taking a stand
for justice
for meaning in a life
once started
should be lived
with care
we studied not
the golden rule
but the laws of supply
and demand
of grasp and take
the land
sea, air, forests
dying slowly or quickly
taking a stand
in school
we were taught
to say but not to follow
the golden rule
[for more poetry, check out the NaPoWriMo website with links to thousands of participants! This link opens a new tab in your brower.]