The Art of Nature, or the Nature of Art

For hate we laugh, for love we cry,

For we are the students of Westerberg High!

Our brick lined walls have seen a million tragedies

Because we are our own worst enemies.

Pathetically we shudder and huddle alone in the dark.

Flip the switch and you’ll learn our bite is worse than our bark.

It’s time for you to get a clue,

You better know we’re better than you.

Come roam our abandoned halls,

Run your fingers along the gum spotted walls.

Hear the squeak of our sneakers on the dusty floors,

Watch us march off to our personal wars.

Here’s Heather leading a cheer and popping some pills,

Watch Robinson decide who to kill

Bob knew he was exchangeable

And of popularity, Martha was incapable.

Despite the vast differences in their pains,

 The solution for all was to defy life’s chains.

Watch us all gleefully leap that line

Because we’re no longer pretending to be fine.

Here we were sovereign, here we were kings.

We were the rulers of the the very bad things.

We had the power to unleash insanity,

Until we realized it was all in vanity.

For hate I laugh, for love I cry,

For I am a student of Westerburg High.

Author's Note

Anything that doesn't make sense is probably a reference to a Christian Slater movie or role.
The hopefully complete list of references:
Westerburg High is the name of the school in the 1989 movie Heathers
My Own Worst Enemy is a television show Christian Slater acted in 2008.
Alone in the Dark is 2005 movie in which Christian Slater acted.
Heather was a cheerleader in Heathers who attempted suicide via sleeping pills.
Robinson was a widower in the 2009 movie Dolan's Cadillac who kills Dolan to avenge his wife's murder.
Bob was a homicidal and suicidal corporate drone in He was a Quiet Man.
Martha was a very overweight and unpopular character in Heathers.
Crossing the Line was a 2006 Documentary.
Very Bad Things was a 1998 movie in which Christian Slater acted.

Reviews

[Echo]

The way your words play off each other makes for a great read.
I love how your beginning and ending were similar enough that I felt it was the end.
The only thing I can think of as a negative.
Trust me I thought long and hard on this.
Is when yo reference things that are not always common knowledge it can make it more difficult for your message to get across :)

but still a brilliant piece.

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

A great carcaphony of words ad imagery that works well, good read.

[TreeSpirit]

I really liked it. I attended a Catholic school for most of my life and can totally relate to this...well done!

[Tai Ryens]

Nicely penned poem, I enjoyed this one quite nicely. The list of reference amazes me at how many of them are fitted into the lines.