Learning after school

Why is it, anyway, that we go to school?
To do a life's worth of learning while trying to act cool?
Well I'm still figuring out "cool", doing that in my own style
And I ain't done learning, not by a long mile

Maths is more than counting time until the lesson is done
It's supposed to be the starting point from which you begun
Grammatically life taught me to never leave my claws open
So is there a limit to what I'm supposed know then?

My lessons taught me how to tell francophones I don't know French
In school sports, I learned how to entertain myself on the bench
But I wanna do more, I wanna progress further
I wanna light brighter fires than just a Bunsen burner

Geography is so much bigger now I can actually travel
The creative arts help my stresses to unravel
I've discovered interesting history - and my place within
But the only way to start this journey was to end school, then begin

It's hard work. With homework. But at least no detention.
And the dress code is one of your own invention.
There's a world out there. It's not always easy to figure out.
So let's get learning what the real world is actually about.

Why we smile

Hi

      Hello
How are you?

      How ya doing?
I'm doing fine
      Me too
Great to hear
      Same
So
      Yeah
Well
      It was nice to see you
And you
      Alright, catch you...
Why do you think people smile?
Why, mechanically, do we curve our mouth when we want to smile
Do you reckon there's some deeper meaning? 
      Mate
And why do we feel happiness at all?
That thing which makes the highs so high
Allowing us to counter stand fast through the lows

      Ummm
Is there some cheat code to it all?
Some animals don't have the muscles to smile
Do they never feel happiness?

      Well
But a smile is a thing of beauty, I think we all agree
You smiling makes me want to smile
So is that the answer to it all? Just a way to share happiness.
      Honestly, not sure mate

Ah. Fair enough
      See you soon?

Sure

      Oh, yeah. One thing
Go on

      I'm not sure why we smile. But I tend to when I see you. Hope that helps.
It does. Thanks mate.
      No worries mate. See ya.

See you

Growing as a child

No time passes us by
Quite like it does for a young child
Each year is more important
Each time we cried, each time we smiled

We grow. Not jut metaphorically.
We actually grow! Legs and arms and all the rest.
Learning and developing
Not master of anything. Just trying our best.

We didn't see it at the time
The fact we were changing was just a fact we accepted
We were pretty much the same each day
Not reflecting on the change that had been infected

Each school year is different in my head
I was doing so much and discovering new things
More recent years I sometimes look back
And it can feel like I clipped my wings

I think I am still growing. I just don't realise it right now.
And when I look at young folk it becomes clearer somehow
Growing isn't natural now, but it's still something I want to do
Life, and not just childhood, is something I want to grow through

To be trees

When trees grow
They can't leave their spot
Their stuck with their neighbours
Growing forever with only the same companions

And I don't think we were meant to be trees
I don't think we were meant to stay planted

Eating the same food
Drinking the same water
Not mattering whether we're content with things staying the same
Because things are going to stay the same regardless of whether we want them or not

But, well, that's not to say it's all bad
There's good things to staying still sometimes

We aren't stuck with our neighbours
But it's nice to have long term friends
We can try different foods
But it's ok to have some favourites

See, we're not trees
At least, I don't think we were meant to be

But that doesn't mean we should uproot for the sake of uprooting
Nor that we should just stay in the same spot
We are humans
And, for better or worse, we get to choose what that means