You were told.

In kindergarten you were told 

you can not wear your light up sketchers.

“Why they’re new?” you whine.

In kindergarten you were told 

You can not wear your light up sketchers, 

because if an intruder comes in they could light up,

give away your hiding spot, flash in the dark, draw attention.

In elementary school you were told

you must stay in a single file line.

“Why I want to stand next to my friends?”  

In elementary school you were told

You must stay in a single file line,

because if an intruder comes in the staff needs

to keep everyone together, keep the students in order.

In middle school you were told

you must keep your mouth shut and stay quiet.

“Why I want to talk to my friends?”

In middle school you were told

you must keep your mouth shut and stay quiet

because if an intruder comes in, you need to listen

for the rattle of door knobs and cracks of gun shots.

In high school you were told 

you must run to the nearest room during drills.

“Why it’s my free period with my friends?”

In high school you were told 

you must run to the nearest room during drills

because if an intruder comes in, you need to have a 

place to hide, a place to hide from the weapon that kills.

When you walk into school you have to 

remember to follow these rules,

because you never know when you are 

going to need them.