Culture Abyss Poem by Stanley Cooper

I recently with two high-school students conversed
And alarmingly learned they weren’t at all versed
In the musical heritage of our American nation
It was a sorrowful show of their culture isolation

It’s not that these kids were doltish or dumb
They were as a matter of fact bright as they come
After minutes with them, one couldn’t refute
Their learned mastery of the digital compute

They’re well schooled in kilo, giga and megabytes
Consumed with computers in utter delight
But the well rounded person, is one who stands tall
Who knows the tech-world is not the be and end-all

I’m distressed to be the sad news reporter
That these bright kids never heard of Mr. Cole Porter
An American icon of music and wit
It’s a short-fall of ours, I humbly submit

“Duke Ellington, ” they asked, “Who’s that dude”?
And Gershwin, forget about, they hadn’t a clue
That it’s not a requisite to be musically inclined
Is no excuse to be culturally blind

I was fearful so didn’t mention Mozart or Bach
Though I’m sure they knew about Rap and Hard Rock
We’ve a TV, Computer and I-Pod generation
Who have fallen victim to culture deprivation

They’re probably unacquainted with the likes of Van Gogh
Who’s accountable for their lack of exposure I really don’t know
Hopefully they’ll emerge from this culture abyss
There’s so much out there, they deserve not to miss