Disguised Segregation
Stupid
Slow
Dumb
Does it show?
Talentless, gallant-less
Humiliated
Hated
Stop saying school is cool
Because whoever wrote the rules of ridicule
About making kids smart when it set goodness apart
And made some feel like nothing more than a fool
is cruel
My disability, their care: it's invisible
It’s a disguised segregation
Mental and social separation
No, not the emancipation proclamation
It is illegal to discriminate by the color of one’s skin
But look within--everyone forgets I’m different there too
If no two brains are the same why is it all the same
There hasn’t been much change in the game
But refusing to care how different brains are wired won’t get you fired
You see… kids label each other no matter what
And when even teachers agree, then the label "I am unable" becomes a definition
Oh! 1:00 time for you to split up in your groups that of course have NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR GPA
Group 1, COUGH COUGH, “the elites”
Group 2, whisper, whisper “mediocre”
Group 3, “special education”
Wow. It really feels special to be
Special.
And for a near friendless kid that just wants to be liked,
Separation, and segregation takes away from anything left of my concentration
Teacher passes out a packet
Here comes a variety of anxiety
And “crap I forgot to study”s
Heart racing despite my slow pacing
I’m scared of what I’m facing
THIS determines where I am placing
Pick A, B C, D?
I’m getting an F
Why does the question contradict the content
There’s a squirrel outside
Distractions, distractions
I’ll pick C
But then again why even try
What an overwhelming feeling of failure it is
When trying my hardest gets me a D
But standardized testing?
I will never live up to their standards
A test should not define you, don’t be blind
When asked to define who you are, would the word “test” even come to mind?
An array of regurgitated questions that doesn't display how creative, or talented or kind or bright you are or ever will be
But that doesn’t matter, right?
Eh, who cares about my art
The word “smart” is defined on a scale of letters A-F
But if you think this rigged competition makes my persona better, listen to this newsletter:
You must be deaf
Common core shakes me to my core
Awareness is unadopted and the lack of inexpensive options
Is becoming a bore
Each student’s brain is different taking shapes that won’t fit into rigid-framed blocks
All of a sudden schools give talks to think outside the box
Oh wait… not like that
Whether I am locked in or locked out of it is still expanding
But the farthest distance between it all is misunderstanding
Education is one size fits all
But these pants are too large
And I am too small
They say it’s not right the way I’m thinking
And it’s not the pants that are getting bigger
But it’s me that is
Shrinking
Everyday I come home wishing I had a talent and that I could be gallant
From the anxiety to immense offense to the stares and eye-rolls when it’s my turn to read to nothing making sense
I’m giving up on me
To finally feel worth it
Would be enough
Thanks, school
You took all the ability I thought I had out of my disability
And all that’s left is "dis"