worn brick walls and heavy glass doors,
echoing halls and spotless floors;
first day of school and teachers' spiels,
there's no telling how we feel.
we are strangers, soon we're friends,
brothers and sisters, all godsends;
together we laugh, together we sigh,
together we cheer, together we cry.
together we smile at Mr. Arbeitman's rap,
together our futures we slowly unwrap.
together we share our inside jokes,
from Mrs. Claus and Shaniqua to the Kitchen Knight,
from Eduardo and Johan to cats that look strange alright.
but what's hiding behind our masks?
that's the question that we all ask.
when all is finished and said and done,
who is it that we'll become?
these past days are our clay years,
but don't be afraid, there's nothing to fear;
we're searching and seeking
following and leading
who will we be molded to be?
we've been told to save the world
but first we have to save ourselves.
everyone's telling us to live it up
but what we need is to stand up
we need to stop our living in malls
we need to stop answering Duty's Call
we need to realize that fun is okay
but not when it dominates our free days.
we need to open our eyes and see
that we need to take responsibility.
we need to stop shoving each other against our lockers
we need to stop laughing about murderers and stalkers
we need to realize that teachers have lives
we have to reject society's pack of lies
please don't smoke and commit slow suicide
please don't joke and ruin another's life
lungs have limits and humans have feelings
and one day reality will send us reeling.
it's high time to wake up and smell the coffee
life isn't all just makeup, romance, and beauty
our world is dying, and we need to start trying
as Matthew West said in his song "The Song You Sing,"
"listen up
I got a question here
would anybody miss you
if you disappeared
well, your life
is the song that you sing
and the whole world
is listening."
Tom Schulman put it this way:
"what will your verse be?"