Student Publishing Program ::

Derek P.

Work

We -- are stuck
Trapped in a sea of muck
Of never-ending work

It starts as a child, the first day of middle school
Where we work in classes until three
Then do homework at night, never being truly free
The weekends, supposedly our time to enjoy
Are spent doing mounds of homework, which teachers employ
Of never-ending work

Unfortunately, as a teenager, the burden doubles in high school
Homework becomes harder and takes longer
Weekends piled high with homework, getting stronger
Now summer, instead of a break from obligations
Is filled with readings and assignments for the duration
Of never-ending work

After college it seems life should be easier
Where we work at jobs for a specific number of hours
But when we get home, expecting a prepared meal to devour
We instead find out there is a lot of housework to be done
And we cook dinner; do the dishes and laundry, all night till one
Of never-ending work

At last, in our elderly years, we break free from the mud
But is it worth it, seeing that we are old and frail
Spending retirement bored in Florida, life moving at the pace of a snail
Even before eleven, we are too young to appreciate our short freedom
Before we know it, we are trapped in that cycle of serfdom
Of never-ending work

We -- are stuck
Trapped in a sea of muck
Of never-ending work

[TABLE OF CONTENTS, LHS CLASS OF 2009 EDITION]