30 here we are now...

why do we value talent?

money crisis
arts education
nearing extinction

audiences looking for entertainment
that's not why the arts are important
the arts teach us all.

29 training

glass case full of trophies
one spot remains
that void will be filled
won by the slimmest of margins

28 the written word

influenced me
of passions and aspirations
words have had impressions
poets won't ever know
how words and images taught

taught to think
beyond me

a writer's legacy:
died penniless
depression
emotional distress

their work would leave lasting impressions
he killed death for decades
he felt like
he was no longer needed

i am not a novelist
i am not a political journalist
i am not a poet
i am just a writer.

27 come together

brings in more
accepting more
it brings in people
encourage community

26 anybody out there?

struggling
suffer
help
struggling
mostly it's about control
stressors
bombard of society's ideas
suffer
for anyone who is concerned

25 no room for imagination

set of numbers

burned out

corporation's standardized test scores
stricter guidelines to achieve ratings

assuming we had trust

it has been a battle

punished

rewarded

live by the legislation
high expectations
strict accountability

24 simple suggestion

the government needs
to rethink its priorities

23 in charge

the ways that we decided together
to show
to promote the team
represented by lines of people
cut down at the beginning

22 compromise

i could see through the facade
forced lies
disappointment
surrounded by lies
it's about a lie
to keep it fair

21 intervention

finished contract
the right person for the job
negotiations
talks started
pleased with efforts
to turn around