ysabetwordsmith | Poem: "Let It Fly Away"

This is the freebie for today's fishbowl, prompted by

gingicat and Boychik. It also fills the "despair" square in my 5-1-18 General card for the Pro Wrestling Bingo Fest.

"Let It Fly Away"

Middle school students
know more about stress
than adults would believe,

responsibilities and
expectations piling up
on them like backpacks.

Between school and homework
and extracurriculars required
for even the hope of college,
they despair of finding
a moment to relax.

So they turn to electronics --
Let's Play videos and LOLcats,
Happy Habits and Take a Break --
to relieve the unending stress.

They grow succulents in Viridi
and goldfish in Zen Koi.

It's a way to remember that
they're not stuck in a world where
all they can ever do is endure.

They can give their stress wings
and let it fly away.

* * *

Notes:

"Give your stress wings and let it fly away."
-- Lydia Sweatt

Teens are often more stressed than adults. Notice that nobody in the article suggests actually reducing the pressure on students, only giving them "better support" to cope with the overload. It's abuse to demand so much of people that it ruins their health. Remember that no diploma does any good if you're too sick to use it. Unsurprisingly, constant stress can damage the growing brain. Know the signs of stress in middle school students. Parents can help their children learn healthy coping skills.

Today, many apps exist to help stressed teens relax. Consider Happy Habits, Take a Break, Viridi, or Zen Koi.