State Song

In class we learn 
the state song
because we are children
in a state 
and for each state
there is a song 
introduced
at a certain age 
to the cadence
of chalk squeaking
the words
that inoculate our minds
against 
all other state songs 
so that visiting 
a classroom
in a new state 
and hearing 
the children 
chant their
plants, animals, 
and landscapes
only serves to remind 
the listener 
of the phrases 
of their home state’s
song—today
we’re learning
sil-ver-y rills
as in
out by the [river’s]
sil-ver-y rills
and the teacher asks 
between hoop earrings
does anyone
know the meaning
of sil-ver-y rills? 
—thus upholding
the dictate 
of state-sponsored 
education
that no answer 
be freely given
unless first asked 
as a question.