To College, A Sestina

There’s nothing better than to go to school

everyone says, “you need an education to make it in life”

it’s all about making money

supporting yourself, because the future is no party

I don’t want to be poor

when I’m no longer a student

Isn’t it great being a student?

three, four, ten more years in school

with all this tuition, how can I not be poor?

I might be in debt for the rest of my life

but at least now I get to (soberly) party

I really wish I had some money!

I need some toothpaste, but I have no money.

Personal hygiene is forgotten when you’re a student

some return and vomit all night after a crazy party

but I stay in and study so I don’t fail out of school

and I stay sober so I can remember life

besides, I don’t have quarters to wash my clothes ‘cause I’m still poor

But then who isn’t poor?

Does anyone in college have money?

Maybe people drink so they can forget the hardships of life

but is life so hard as a student,

protected by the familiarity of school?

It may be hard now, but like I said, the future is no party

I’ve never been to the casino or a drunken party

I’d rather not come back feeling poor-

ly like some of the other kids in school

and I’d rather not go to a place that consumes my money

after all, I am an impoverished student

besides, I have a life

Someday I’ll decide what I want to do in life

but this weekend I’ll just have a movie party

and continue being a directionless student

so what that I’m poor

to have a good time, I don’t need any money

although I guess I do to stay in school

Anyway, life isn’t all about having money

school is a party if we choose to have fun

I’ll always be a poor college student at heart.