Tuesday 5 February 2013

Education at home


Two children, old enough to walk, in a pram
A third child playing along the pram
Two adult women, chatting furiously, holding the pram
All returning home from a shop
Waiting at the tram stop.
One mother hands out some mini-sized packs of biscuits to the children.
Children laugh, children open the packs, children eat
The eldest child throws her empty wrapper on the tram track.
Children laugh.
Mothers look. Mothers shake their heads. Mothers continue their chat.
Not to be outdone, the second oldest child throws his second empty wrapper too on the tram track.
It’s all a game. It’s all fun.
Mothers look. Mothers shake their heads. Mothers continue their chat.
Standing a little way is someone else
A stranger to them, waiting too for the tram
Stranger looks at the children. The children laugh back.
Stranger looks at the mothers. The mothers glare back.
Stranger looks at the orphaned wrappers. The wrappers stare back.
So Stranger walks down to the wrappers,
Stranger scoops them up in her arms,
Stranger walks over to a hungry trashcan
And gently lowers the wrappers in its mouth.
Stunned by the incident, the mothers shake their heads.
They’re children after all. They’re going to throw things.
Here and there, everywhere! What’s her problem?

That’s the problem, isn’t it?
Not knowing how to raise one’s kids.
Should his life be filled with fun,
With games and play and no work done?
Is he meant to slap, to pinch, to cry,
Not learn to love, no what nor why?
Should he not meet Discipline
Or is it way too soon to begin?
When o when then do pray tell,
Will you break the magic spell,
Show him Mercy, teach him Truth,
That water’s unclear in the fountain of youth,
When will you teach him ol’ life’s song,
To be humble yet be strong?
Fight like a warrior, give like a King,
Offer support for doing the hard thing?
Will he always be too young,
And you too wise,
To teach him right from wrong,
From wrong to right?

2 comments:

  1. U r good teacher dear. I loved the style, I had already guessed the content, of course

    ReplyDelete