Author: Abigail Betts
The children who are shrunk by shouts
In museums of oils and foreign lands;
Because of the oils on their hands,
Become the great impressionists.
The children whose voices shake,
In classrooms of plaid oppression;
Because of the age-old suppression,
Become the darlings of The Academy.
The children with undeserved demerit slips,
In testing rooms of finished work and boredom;
Because of urgent, unbidden words that must come,
Become the antagonized authors.
All Because they didn’t want to be published.
Because they didn’t want to speak up.
Because they didn’t want to get in trouble.