You ever stare at a receding bottle and feel a profound sink as you count the few shots you have left?
Is there a way to fix that without opening another?
The stores closed hours ago.
Inability to plan ahead.
Inability to conserve resources.
Does not manage time wisely.
Does not engage other children in play.
Does not volunteer to answer questions.
There were checkboxes for all those.
But every now and then, there were special notes written in the margins
Why didn't they ever talk about the singling out
the alienation
the naked hatred and razorwire snickering.
Why were these the important questions?
What balding politician with no background in education,
or being a child
decided it was more relevant to monitor halls and stacking.
Columns and rows.
Neat little cubes of compliance and satiation.
Where did the anger come from?
And where did it go?
What did he feel when they started to flop.
Gasp.
Plead.
Apologize.
And when they waltzed it all the following week?
Why, and why for so long?
Why ask now?
Where were you then?
Just lock the door, and step quietly away.
Safer that way.
Better that way.