Teenage Suicide Poem by RoseAnn V. Shawiak

Archways of learning, covering years of experience and wisdom, folding in upon life and it's freedom.
Necessary evils of knowledge kill our desires, step on our curiosity and drown our wonder.
People seeking everlasting learning, never look to themselves, but are always yearning for what someone else may have.
Forgetting that in order to learn, we must live our lives in wonder and curiosity, knowledge is hurting our youth.
There is no longer an element of fun, learning has become exceedingly boring.
Today's youth drop out of school, because life outside of school seems to be more fulfilling.
Disregarding parents, teachers and authority, children are looking - searching for some to say, 'it's okay to have fun'.
They are looking for religion and God, but don't know it yet, as they try to form a punk rock religion of their own in gangs.
Hating the values grown-ups have set, children falter - stumble - can find no use in life and kill themselves.
Leaving everyone wondering what is so wrong with the youth of today - blaming them, pushing them into farthest corners of life where they can find nothing of value - not even themselves.
What is wrong today is not with our youth - at least not yet!
It is the constant meanderings through many self-help groups for parents and adults telling us to follow our desires and try everything to find out what we want in life.
Children seeing that grown-up people have no clue of where they're going - watching them constantly, looking to see if they have found meaning in life at all.
Seeing their parents and their friends always searching for something - it's never-ending - children become afraid.
There is no consistency in their lives, as grown-ups go from one class to another, searching for a self they'll never find until they stop and look to their children.
Stopping to listen from their hearts and hear the confusion, maybe then their lives will gain some meaning as they turn away from the world and believe again in themselves.
Teaching their children the truths of living, of having faith, morals and value.
Maybe then we will not hear so much talk of suicide from them.