All That Glistens

 All that glistens is not gold
At least as youngsters, we are told
We're taught to be seen but not be heard
Now as a concept, that's absurd
Why is it that all the adult folk
See filling young heads as such a joke
So many things that we are taught
They taint our minds, they come to naught
They're in the way when it comes time
To be ourselves, not toe the line
To make a stand, to be complete
To not back down, to face the heat
 
Are there not better things to do
Than fill young heads with all that goo
Why not talk of hopes and dreams
Of what might be, of life serene
There's time enough in later days
As life descends into that maze
Where hopes are smashed and dreams do fade
As in the end, the dues are paid
Let youngsters dream, as well they might
For over time, they learn of fright
Fear of failing, fear of hope
Fear of ordinariness, fear of life's slippery slope