Ode to Terra Linda

by Jason Tighe

Oh Terra Linda Breeze,

bringing the smell of juul vapor down the hall,

the chattering of nervous freshmen blend

with the groans of seniors fed up with it all

Oh Terra Linda Grounds,

tumbleweeds of doritos suffused throughout the campus

whispers of a student body indifferent and incognizant

of janitors crouching over the detritus

Oh Terra Linda Traffic,

“I hate these teen drivers!”

Parents exclaim, driving the wrong way down a one way parking lot

After 7:40, good luck even finding a parking spot

Oh Terra Linda Sports,

from tennis to track, baseball to basketball,

sweaty uniforms, tight-fitting leotards (I mean singlet)

Injured? Kit would know what to do

Oh Terra Linda PE,

shepherding the masses of sheep into the gymnasium,

thou must putteth on thy uniform,

thou must walketh aimlessly around the track

Oh Terra Linda Lunch,

soggy fries mixing with disheartened sighs,

take your 5 food groups:

cardboard chicken, cucumbers, chocolate milk, charcoal chow mein, chalky cheese pizza

Oh Terra Linda Teachers,

sarcastic or sensitive, sweet or sour, sassy or classy,

the backbone of our education,

if only your salaries matched your effort to see us thrive

Oh Terra Linda Administration,

running the show from behind the curtain,

casting light upon Terra Linda’s successes

Ms Dunlap, the passionate superhero and her two supportive sidekicks, a trifecta against truancy

Oh Terra Linda Counseling Department,

balancing the lives of 1200 students among the three of you,

understandably so busy,

if only I could get the schedule change I needed last March

Oh Terra Linda Couples Making Out in the Hallway,

disgruntled adults may mutter “get a room”

but secretly, deep down inside,

everyone else wants you to get a room too

Oh Terra Linda Seagulls and Crows,

cawing, squeaking, screeching, squawking,

eating scraps of food off the floor,

wait, that’s just another freshman

Oh Terra Linda Science Department,

Aufbau diagrams the chemistry of my soul,

mitochondria powers the cells of my heart,

if only physics could explain why they left me on read

Oh Terra Linda Language Department,

on adore parler les langues d’espagnol et français,

sin embargo, VHL lentamente nos está matando

French 3 students aren’t monkeys; we shouldn’t be left hanging

Oh Terra Linda English Department,

CLEAR paragraphs fail to clarify my claims,

extraordinary novels exhibiting themes of depravity and humanity

if only we could remember what an adverb is

Oh Terra Linda MSEL,

planting trees, going green

if only we could taste the sweet vegetables growing in your

Gmo-Free, Local, Organic, Non-Pesticide, Native-Species, Sustainable, Eco-Restorative Gardens™

Oh Terra Linda Social Studies Department,

forewarning of the past repeating itself,

covering history without smothering the truth,

if only things were as simple as printed in textbooks

Oh Terra Linda Journalism,

14 strong, never wrong,

the only class more spiced and saucy than the kitchen,

stay tuned for a sassy semester two

Oh Terra Linda High School,

So diverse, so unique,

All-inclusive, from time to time cringe-inducive,

A place I’m proud to be a part of