My Generation

I witnessed potential voices
stomped on by oppression and fear.
Fear can squash the strongest of society
even if what they say could be truth.

The destruction of Habeas corpus in schools
and a simple nod of the head from parents and students alike.
We are not the generation of activism
and freedom anymore.

We dance according to the guidelines
and dare not to frown for the maestro to see.
No, we simply drown in our computers
and act like Ipods can change the fact that our siblings are dying in war.

Death and tears is what my generation knows
and reacts to through more violence.
Guns, crack pipes, and the taste of liquor
is what our brains are accustomed too.

Bullets flying in schools and bloody knives
is what adults react too.
The reactionary fear surrounds them,
whispering to them to not ask “Why?”

Instead of diplomacy, we get dogs sniffing out our bags
and cops interrogating those that refuse to comply.
We are not citizens of America,
we are property thrown aside when we finally agree to their rules.

Questioning and resisting is not in the vocabulary of my youth.
No, our vocabulary is filled with labels.
Emo, Goth, Punk, Prep, and Hippie
is what we say to individual expression.

If someone dares to ask a question
Ritalin is shoved down their throats like they are test rats.
The Socrates Method is dead,
apathy rules our souls.