Rows of students grimly scribbling, neatly
uniformed; they know they must
PAY ATTENTION TOMORROW IS THE TEST!
What about the day after tomorrow
and the day after that?
Another test? And another?
Soon they will be tested on whether
they can have children or marriages
that last or jobs spent scribbling in rows;
soon they will have grandchildren
in rows scribbling, neat
in their uniforms;
soon they will be uniformly in rows
laid beneath stone and earth
with scribbling on the stone;
soon there will be only the stone
with the wind scribbling; soon
there will be only the wind;
soon...
he thought
and scribbled.
*Previously published in A Stranger to the Land, (Garden Street Press, 1997)
Michael L. Newell is a retired English/Theatre teacher. His most recent book is Meditation of an Old Man Standing on a Bridge (Bellowing Ark Press, 2018).
Quite a haunting piece, Michael. It's a little reminiscent of some of those 60s pieces (Dylan's "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" and Seeger's "Little Boxes" - but maybe with an edge more bite and sharpness!
ReplyDelete