a child is not a treadmill to run towards grades
till they pop their next adderall

because a child is a daffodil
in need of water
distilled of impurities
to drink and be fulfilled with drops of encouragement

a child is not a landfill
where one dumps trashy comments
and spills contaminated cruelties

because words can kill
send a chill down your neck
drive a drill through your skull

an ill will can fulfill one’s greatest nightmare
and instill fear in one’s mind

and yet
we choose
to drive people downhill
till they’re mentally ill
to the point of
one
last
pill

oh, what a thrill
it is
to kill