In school we studied history, a record of the past
When Romans roamed and Greek Gods governed. The lessons went by fast
We explored an Anglo-Saxon town, their leaders overthrown
We empathised with grieving folk, who lost all they had owned
I swear I felt the falling buildings cascade off my face
As earthquakes beat Pompeii to a pulp, I swear this was the case
As teachers journeyed us through time where former folk formed tales
We vacuumed fact through eyes and ears embracing human trails
We don’t use history anymore. We don’t consider strife or war
Ctrl+H’s what history means. I miss those vivid history dreams
History was combat overcome, and who was left defeated
Yet now it’s but an extinct grave of searches that we’ve completed
Now history’s to be deleted, it shows how boys get kicks
So no-one finds out about the time they fiddle with their…
History’s turned selfish, it was legends of kings and queens
The only mystery history solves now, is where kids buy their jeans
You’ve not a prayer of experiencing history, when trapped behind a Mac
There’s more than just a patterned cloth behind our Union Jack
In the future they’ll look for history. In millennials, they won’t find any
We cared for Wi-Fi more than time. I miss making those stories mine.
Saul Westbrook is a London-based sixth form student who writes poetry in his spare time.