Schooling

we learn, in places like this
so many things they do not mean to teach us

we learn better-and-worse:
some students are better
other students are worse
sometimes it’s about grades
sometimes it’s about conduct
sometimes it’s about
how many valentines we get

we learn fear:
of classroom bullies
of cruel gaggles of other students who band together for protection
of school administrators
and of what our parents will do when they find out

we learn that right and wrong in the eyes of our peers may not match right and wrong in the eyes of adults

and when we finally leave these rooms

we learn that life

is just a giant schoolroom

6 thoughts on “Schooling

  1. True indeed, perhaps even of private school. I wish I had had the bold, draining love to home-school my kids. And their kids.

Leave a Reply