I feel bombarded.
So many questions in my head,
I can’t answer.
So many expectations,
I fail to meet.
And I keep thinking to myself:
Where did it all go wrong?
But, the list goes on and on.
I may have regrets but,
I keep on marching
With my head up high.
I have to face it,
With courage and no fear;
My daily reality.
School has turned into a battlefield.

Each and every morning,
As always, cold and foggy,
It almost feels as if I were walking through clouds.
I breathe in.
I breathe out.
I can see it.
I can see the vapor escaping through my lips.
This is it.
I set foot in battleground.
Another day out in the field.
I am vulnerable now and,
There’s no turning back.

I see troops of students race down the hall.
Their faces;
They look so tired.
I can relate,
I was recruited as well.
Dark circles surround my eyes,
I keep giving one heavy step after another.
It almost feels like I am about to fall.
Its near time I surrender
And I’ll start to crawl.

One by one,
The army arrives.
Most of us, not prepared
For an 8 hour workday.
When the bell rings,
As if a shot was heard,
Students abruptly disperse.
It’s time.
I march towards headquarters.
Meet with my squad.
Report to my superior,
And head directly to class.

Us soldiers,
We must follow certain rules.
I shall not ever complain.
I must always obey.
Never arrive late.
Don’t chitchat with my mate.
I keep telling this to myself.
Over and over again.
Don’t get into trouble, I say.
It’s not worth it, I say.
Though, he turns around,
My English teacher.
The coast is clear, and
After a while,
I can’t handle it anymore.
The silence.
I chat with my colleague.
She made me laugh and,
I explode, internally.
I’ve learned tactics throughout the years, thankfully.
I’ve learned to laugh silently.
But, I got busted.
How did he do it?
He has a sixth sense, I know.
All teachers do.
Full of wrath,
He bursts out,
Like a nuclear bomb:
First there’s an intensely bright flash.
A wave of heat starts running through my body.
A heat blast,
Up my neck and through my face.
I’m on fire.
Finally,
Everything around me shatters to the ground.
But I can’t hear a thing.
I’m stunned.

I can learn from my mistakes though.
In fact,
I learned that
Whatever I do,
I won’t ever provoke a superior.
Cause they are like a grenade.
If they’re shaken up,
They’ll explode in your face.

Sometimes I wish I had a shield.
And my armor,
Made of steel,
To protect myself.
To protect myself from any weapon
My enemies,
I know,
Won’t hesitate to use.
And their only purpose:
To amuse.
The worst thing is, they’re not alone.
They have their own army.
And one same goal.
Soldiers in the field, they’re staring at me.
Shooting deathly stares,
Like a gun-machine;
Non-stop fire.
Red balls fly from side to side.
It’s like a dodge ball game right now.
This seems familiar.
Pow!
Physical education.
Two teams,
Each loaded with ammunition.
Pow!
Some of us fall.
Others manage to survive.
Though we never leave a soldier behind.
Some shoot fire against fire.
I don’t.
I wont pull the trigger,
I wont feed the fire.
It’s not that I am coward,
I am faster.

If someone gets hurt, and gets bruises all over his face,
They should not lose hope,
Cause there is one more choice.
Seek for medical assistance,
Go and visit the nurse.
Even I have been there.
And I assure, you can trust her.
Leave it all to her.
The nurse,
She will cure anything.
From a simple cut,
To a third grade severe burn.
They may hurt a lot,
Those battle wounds one’s got.
Though, I say they are worth.
After all, they make you feel alive,
They make you stronger as a warrior.
And the scars will remember you
Of what you fought for in life.
You are a survivor.