High School Musical

By Lily Damron

I. Kindergarten: Age 6

Everyone is very bright and they sing!
Everything stops and they put a light on you.
You sing about how you feel
and everyone cares a lot about everything.
There is a lot to sing about!
I like singing.

Troy and Gabriella want to sing more.
They can’t because of ‘The Status Quo’.
I don’t know what that is.
In this world everyone is very worried
about ‘The Status Quo’.
They are mean to the boy who bakes.

To break ‘The Status Quo’ you have to be
like kindergarteners. I’m in kindergarten! 
Gabriella says it was easier to make friends
in kindergarten. You could also be 
what you wanted to be. I have lots of friends!
Sometimes we catch bugs, at recess.

II. Bet On It: Age 12

I am greatly envious of Troy Bolton.
He’s throwing his arms out and stomping
and strutting through his problems
Mom says his hair is bad but I don’t notice
he’s very confident, and he knows
he’s going to fix his mistakes.

Being a teenager isn’t great,
and I’d like to have a diva moment
sometimes. Maybe if made myself big
and screamed at the universe 
to ‘bet on me’ like Troy 
I wouldn’t feel self-conscious anymore.

Maybe if I had a CGI reflection of myself
like Troy Bolton does, I could
stare into it and say affirmations
and become superhumanly resolved
to make my life what I want.
Bet on it bet on it you can bet on me.

III. Senior Year: Age 17

“can you imagine what would happen
if we could have any dream”
I’d like to take your dream with me
what a lovely fantasy, where you can love
someone by singing and you could keep the love
if you kept dancing, and you’ll never stop

“to find what you’re here for
open another door”
the last doors I walked through still echo
behind me, just like you said.
I’m about to open a door
hope it’s the right one

“I want the rest of my life to
feel just like a high school musical”
what a lovely feeling
to feel like a high school musical
it must feel like absurd passion
for unreasonably important things

Lily Damron is a student studying physics and writing in California. She’s originally from
Kansas City. She hoards fortune cookies for writing inspiration.