The Students

She hangs the banners up
everyday around the dining hall,
where everyone enjoys what they have
worked for.

The sad truth that isn’t really sad
is that they’re must be pain
exchanged for what’s important.

For everyone that’s never had a say
I hate to break it to you,
but it’s been you that’s never let go
of that choice.

A kind of vocal node
that closes off the voice
and makes it easier to follow
what’s around you.

Silhouettes of naked girls
painted poorly on the sliding doors
of vans from previous decades
going back, are just reminders
of the youth of this new century.

We plug our cigarettes into car charging ports
and mix up all our carbonated waters.
We slaughter boars from the comfort
of our helicopters only wearing headphones
for the noise that makes it hard enough
to concentrate on aiming.

We do the same thing every day now
as an exercise in keeping all these lights on,
but when it’s dark out it gets easier to sleep,
and by extension then much easier
to dream.

I am afraid to pick up an electric guitar
because as artwork they look better
on the wall then in my hands
where I can make them sound
like something that they shouldn’t.

Plus there are programs now
that do the whole thing
for you.