Students of Their Insanity







Students of Their Insanity 




The students’ minds were pages,

   Awaiting moral text.

   What they got was Acrimony’s Alphabet from adults.

   These adults felt “A” represented Aversion

   And the last letter was for Zealotry.



The students’ minds were pages,

   Awaiting moral text.

   What they got was lessons in Antagonisms' Annals

   From bullies who beat them the way slaves were beaten

   And tortured them the way hostages were tortured.



The students’ minds were pages,

   Awaiting moral text.

   What they got was prejudice tutoring them proprietarily. 

   These days, the students are fluent in hate,

   Possessing an old bigot’s vulgarism. 



The students’ minds were pages,

    Awaiting moral text.

    What they got was the globe’s most itinerant pandemic

    Beneath Afric, Asiatic and Caucasic faces. 



The students’ minds were pages,

   Awaiting moral text.

   What they got was a tassel-headed graduation

   And a welcome to the ever-battlesome world.





Bob McNeil





Bob McNeil is the author of Verses of Realness. Hal Sirowitz, Queens Poet Laureate, described the book as “A fantastic trip through the mind of a poet who doesn’t flinch at the truth.”  Bob was published in The Shout It Out Anthology, Brine Rights: Stanzas and Clauses for the Causes (Volume 1), San Francisco Peace and Hope, and The Self-Portrait Poetry Collection, etc.  Furthermore, his work as a professional illustrator, spoken word artist, and writer is dedicated to one cause—justice.

5 Comments

  1. 'Students of Their Insanity' by Bob McNeil exposes the hollowness that lies behind so many initiatives in society. This poem explores how students that have the potential to change the world for the better are often drawn into broken systems that perpetuate injustice. Reading, writing and being aware of these issues is a positive way we can all influence society to change for the better. Bob McNeil's poem is socially important, cogently written and contains a strong message for us all.

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  2. A fine write: Relevant and thoughtful.

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  3. While student’s minds eagerly await moral text, would-be knowledge in all its wondrous forms, what they got instead was a preface for predetermined, pre-colonial, euro-western ways. So instead of being hopefuls, their futures are already hexed.

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  4. We fell in love with Bob's works and never stopped. We are proud to carry some of his pieces. He's a great writer and never fails to put everyone in awe.

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  5. Bob, this is a truly poignant and relevant-to-the-times message! Yes, the students are growing up during a tumultuous time of stress, anxiety, anger, and negativity, but, this is also a time of change, revolution, remembrance, and wisdom. This new student is the future and their work is truly going to make a change for the better. Thank you for sharing yet another important piece of work. Peace. Tamara

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