A 13-Year-Old Speaks

My son Thomas was supposed to write a poem beginning with the words "I wonder." After three days of badgering from his teacher and parents, he produced this:

Often times I wonder why I call out for direction and people sit looking straight at me with dim expressions on their faces.
Often times I wonder why all throughout my life I've been told "can't" is a word I shouldn't use.
Often times I wonder why I've always been told I can accomplish anything I put my mind to.
Often times I wonder how it feels to be a pencil, having my head ground every time people expect instantaneous results from their thick skulls onto the thin paper, but then I remember; that's how my life feels.

Often times I wonder why I smile when authority figures scold me.
Often times I wonder why the scolding of teachers has no effect on me in the slightest.
Often times I wonder why I am always told to do more than the bare minimum of work, but I am always told the same thing: "because you are smarter than that."
But why should I do more than the bare minimum? It's all very confusing to me.

Often times I wonder why everyone around me seems to be running in circles never achieving anything more than "the next step" in life, and then the "step" after that.
Often times I wonder why just the sound of some people's voices makes me want to rip my ears off.
Often times I wonder why some things are deemed socially unacceptable to say.
Often times I wonder why some people don't understand why nobody seems to particularly like them.

Often times I wonder why some political issues are even issues, but then I remember, I don't really care.
Often times I wonder why everyone I know seems to have terrible taste in music, but I guess that makes me the minority.
I wonder often, how people can be terrified of bugs, but then, I'm terrified of slugs.
And more often than not I wonder why anyone should care about what I wonder, I think I'm fairly dull.