Lesson Plan
Twelve plus years we spend in school
Only to fall asleep in our texts books
And wake up in a puddle of our own drool.
“Open you books to chapter ten.”
And read through this material
Just so that we can forget it all over again.
“Your homework is to take notes over twenty-two.”
Then write a 70 page paper
On how salt reacts with glue.
But somehow they always seem to forget to mention
That if we don’t turn it in,
We should prepare ourselves for five hours of detention.
As weeks grow by our minds get weary
Staying up until dawn
To study for the killer test in Theory.
Slowly you seem to crash and burn
People seem to notice
But of course there is no where safe to turn.
Thoughts of terror run through your head
Wouldn’t the world be better
If one morning you turned up dead?
Your parents stopped giving you kisses and hugs
So now you must begin
To rely on alcohol and drugs.
One day your teacher wishes to see you ‘after class’
“Oh great”, you think
“God I hate this teacher, he’s such an ass.”
“Something is wrong, what can I do?”
You stand there glaring and thinking
“Shut the hell up, I’ve got no dealings with you.”
But instead you smile say
“It’s just stress, that’s all.”
And then continue on your way.
You reach deep inside and pull out a smile somehow
Your teacher seems satisfied
But perhaps just for now.
You walk a bit drudgingly slow
Far from behind you hear
“I’m always here for you, you know.”
Thinking now how you hate him so
And in the single instant
Hatred in your heart begins to grow.

Home is where the heart is, or so they say
If that saying is true
Then why do you push everyone there, away?
Finally you just can’t seem to take it anymore
So one night you take a rope
And hang it high above the family room floor.
You slip it on and tighten the noose
Breathing very fast
Praying that it doesn’t come loose.
Your heart begins to beat unbearably fast
You stand on a chair
Hoping that the pain doesn’t last.
But as you do so you glance to your right
To notice the family portrait
Sitting so peacefully in the fluorescent light.
Thinking of all the people you’ll hurt
You loosen the rope
And wipe your tears on your shirt.
You sleep hard that evening
And head off to school that next morning
You’re glad to see that for you, there is no grieving.
All through the day you’re undeniably joyful
With friends all around you seem to find
That you’re no longer depressed or doubtful
While sitting in down in period five
You look around you
Thankful to be alive
Once again after class your teacher pulls you aside
Before he says anything
He notices that you’ve already cried.
“Is there anything you must say or do?”
You’ve got one thing to say
“Thank you.”
~Pichler