Yet Another Sucky Poem

(not sure about my fascination with the word, 'suck' but it is a common thread in my slam poetry...maybe that will be the name of my new book - Sucky Poetry - I am sure millions will buy it. At any rate; here goes)

I teach
and
I think


You know what I think?

I think….

America Sucks.

Whose fault is it anyway?

We are a society who likes to blame someone - anyone
Anyone except ourselves…

I am not talking about the mayor
I am not talking about the governor
Or even the incredibly fit, hot, new president…
(Change is good)
I’m not talking about religion…
It doesn’t matter to me
what god you do or don’t believe in
Whether or not he, she, or it did or didn’t create this messed up world
Whether or not you do or don’t go to church

America is still fucked up
What is that you say? Teachers don’t say ‘fucked.’ At what point are you going to stop looking at what I am saying to focus on what is happening around us? Think about what you are saying, not saying, doing or not doing. I am just an individual with an opinion and because I am a teacher doesn’t mean I can’t still have a loud boisterous opinion…
and I say…
America is still fucked up…

You think it might be the economy? Yeah that sucks too but it’s not what I am talking about…
I am not talking about the fact that

• My alarm didn’t work today
• My coffee maker needs a new carafe
• The kitty’s litter is filled with more feces (you thought I was going to say ‘ shit’ eh… nope – gratuitous swearing is overrated)
• more feces than the actually stench erasing pebbles
• My kids’ growth is stunted by an intense hatred of all foods healthy

Or even the fact that

• I’m in a difficult relationship…

At this point in my professionally inspire rant I must say that I firmly believe all that is wrong with the country can be broken down
into one concept,
one social group…
an aspect of our society which holds so much power over the next generation…

Parents…

You know the ones I am talking about
Parents who live vicariously through their children because their own childhood sucked
Parents who know their child will be in the NFL before college
Parents who live to become their child’s best friend because they didn’t learn the social friend making skills and think it is important to have a BFF spawn
Parents who pay the babysitter, “Time Warner Cable” for the daily after school childcare
Parents who don’t understand the concept of adolescent obesity…
Parents who buy their child’s love just so their eX doesn’t win the love meter battle
“Of course I understand the new playstation I just gave you totally outranks the new one I bought for you two months ago. It is all because I love you and your daddy doesn’t…”
Parents who see their offspring only on the weekends but are bothered by the fact that it might interfere with happy hour…
Parents who think high school was hard for them so it will be hard for their kid
Parents who can’t read 5 books so don’t expect their kid to either
Parents who had you as a teacher…those are sometimes the worst…
“Oh Ms. Stein – yeah she was a bitch when I was in her class too – let’s see if we can get you out of it because you don’t deserve the stress especially during cheering season.”
Parents who still pick out the clothes and comb the hair of their teenager
Parents who bring in the homework their kids forgot on the kitchen counter because they know it is not their child’s responsibility
Of course ...not to mention...
Parents who do the work for them
Parents who think it is totally appropriate for their child to tell you how much he hates you in such a way that you know rudeness and cruelty are a way of life for the family…

Parents, who smack, neglect or abuse their child in public
Physically, spiritually, sexually, intellectually, emotionally, even unintentionally
Last of all
Parents who don’t identify a least a little bit withone of these examples…

So I am printing a pretty negative picture?
How many of you have I ticked off?
Did you know that I am a parent too?
Oh believe me - I am probably just as fucked up as the rest of the parents of the world (yup there is that word – not gratuitous that time)
Really when I think of it, How many people will be listening saying either “this isn’t me” or “that will never be me”
At least I am strong enough to say my intentions are to never screw up my sons’ lives but forgive myself if and when I falter…

The last thing I can do, as a
Parent, is to
walk away from this rant,
accept the blame for some issues with the country.
As a teacher I am not sure if I can stop blaming the parents –
some ARE at fault…


Instead of lamenting over the fact that this country sucks, I could write a poem – slam my intentions and then make a clean break –
I have passed the responsibility to you – as a parent of one of my students…

So what do we do if America sucks?
It is our generation.
We are responsible for it.
We can save it …
So…

Don’t fuck it up…
LLS