The Perfect Student // a poem

She is stuck behind lined paper,

she never forgets to dot her “i”s,

raises her hand when she knows the answer

and is the best at whatever she tries.

she wakes up early in the morning

for she knows no other way,

writing out her schedule 

that she lives by day to day.

she always gets straight A’s

for they determine her self-esteem.

stays only on the right path

so her record will stay clean.

but life is not a checklist

of generic milestones to pursue,

some things can not be planned for

though she never truly knew

that while living on this earth

she has never really lived,

because grades cannot determine

how much beauty life can give.

For life can not be graded

by the scores given in class

experiences are the only thing

that will forever last.