you taught me to live, you taught me to die.
At seven years old, we learned how to spell
At seven years old, we learned how to hide
In 2012, my brother was born
In 2012, Sandy Hook happened without my knowledge
Perhaps as kids, we should've noticed
The extra hugs as we left for school, the hesitation in handing off the bags
But we were young and naive, and school hasn't always been a death trap
So, at seven years old, we sealed our lips and learned how to die.
At twelve years old, we learned about the Great Depression
At twelve years old, we learned that textbooks can slow a bullet
In 2018, I watched Avengers: Infinity War
In 2018, I watched the news as seventeen people died
We all noticed the change, because on the way to school the next morning,
My mother couldn't stop shaking
This time it was me that hesitated to let go of my little brother's bag
We were young but no longer naive
So, at twelve years old, we barricaded doors and learned how to die.
At sixteen years old, we learned about statistics
At sixteen years old, we learned that the entire system is against us
In 2021, my little sister started school
In 2021, I screamed at the radio, how many more of us have to die
And nothing changed
Except for that we had an accidental lockdown the next day, and none of us cried
The red lights flashed outside our classroom, and as the helplessness sank in
I texted my mother, don't worry, I'll keep you posted
We are young but we accepted our fates long ago
So, at sixteen years old, we stood backs to the walls and remembered our training
We've been taught to die since we were seven.