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Whatever happened to above average?

I was brought up

In red polo shirts

And long hair ribbons

Big, gap toothed grin

I was brought up

A book in hand

Seated at a desk

Referred to as gifted

Pretty young thing, a pat on the head

You’ll go far, little one

So smart for her age, a brilliant small child

We just can’t wait to see how she turns out.

Whatever happened to above average?

That easy going kid

Turned into a monster who cries herself to sleep

A ghostly figure who always finds a way to fail

Passing through the walls of each class, never making a sound

That child made a splash, but eventually 

The jumps were too great and she simply

Drowned.

Whatever happened to above average?

That girl was buried so long ago

And this new figure

With her numb, dead eyes

Is too caught up in figuring out if she’s alive

And the equations are long

And the days are growing shorter

And she would hate to ever be a bother

She shouldn’t need to ask for help

She’s above average 

She’s above average

She’s above average 

She is.

Do you ever think 

Sylvia Plath was ever told that she was just

Average.