2021
The 2021 Poet Laureate is Alexis Radhakrishnan. Her poem is titled "Problems for Another Day."
Verse 1:
I step outside my front door.
I wanna go back in for,
A cup of tea and some confronting.
I’ll hide in my kitchen
And just sit and listen
to the demolition
Happening in my line of vision.
Chorus:
I don’t wanna go outside today.
and watch my whole world crumble from
what it was yesterday.
Failed plans, masks, and online learning,
I wouldn’t be surprised if you told ’em I was
dreaming.
So I don’t wanna go outside today
I’ll save these problems for another day.
Verse 2:
I turn on the TV,
to distract me from what’s happening
Outside
only to see-
Hit and runs,
and abused drugs,
viruses,
and gun violence.
All lightened up by a high school grad
and their proud dad
Chorus:
But they don’t wanna go outside today
and watch their whole world crumble from
what it was yesterday.
Failed plans.
Masks, and online learning
They wouldn’t be surprised if you told ’em
they were dreaming.
They don’t wanna go outside today
just save these problems for another day.
Bridge:
But here’s my deep-rooted issue
We can’t let our ignorance continue
We’re the new additions
after our graduation
We’ve learned what we’re supposed to say
to make today all okay
and keep tomorrow from going away
Verse 3:
I’ll pull out my phone
to try and figure out how to fix this, alone.
Google says it can’t be done,
but with a little bit of everyone…
Chorus:
Maybe we’ll go outside today
And let the old world crumble from what it
was yesterday.
Failed plans, masks, and graduating,
While we wouldn’t be surprised if you told
us we were dreaming
We’ve all got to go outside today
To save these problems from another day
Refrain:
We’ve all got to go outside today
and save these problems from another day
We’re about to step outside, today.
–Alexis Radhakrishnan