Youth

The youth,

With curved spines, bow

To the mighty power of

Instagram

Where two second pictures test their memory

To think empty and effortlessly

And when told to run for gym class,

Groaning,

Like exercising is an indomitable task

In a sea of black, white, and gray

The youth, still bowing, seem to pray

Puffing,

Heaving,

Insides screaming,

These mountainous globs of youth

Are constantly protected and soothed

If they get boo-boo's from iPads

You see, the spoiling and coddling adds

Up

The heaps of previous trips to fast food restaurants spill out

Insides begging for a respite, because, no doubt,

This is the first time someone's ever forced them to run

"My leg hurts, I can't do this, it can't be done!"

So they stop

And give up

Because no one's ever told them "tough luck"

Or "suck it up"

Only told them "pour it out"

Onto paper

Onto paper plates

Because growing up can wait

Remember when we were young?

If caught cursing were told to "hold your tounge"?

When we ate wonder, not gluten-free, bread

When heavy textbooks, not slam poetry, would be read

When running in gym class during school was a gift

When playing outdoors wasn't because we wanted to stay fit

When the sunshine soaking our bones

Wasn't going to affect our hormones

Teenagers received discipline

And there's no time for listening

So they sit down and pull out Instagram

And take selfies while they cram

Meaningless messages of "pride and proudness" down their throats

And those slutty dresses don't need to be covered up with coats

Beacause a woman needs to express herself 

Taunts of nudity and sex dripping down like caramel

Basing facts and opinions on rumors

Attention! This is our future

This is what the previous generation has created

A mountainous mass that will never be weighted

Because, "you're beautiful just the way you are."