A LAMENTATION FOR THE FALLEN PEDESTAL

In days of yore, when wisdom's mantle shone Teachers were revered, their honor like a throne Despite meager pay, they earned respect and fame As bookcraft wise men, guiding learners through life's maze and flame Parents held them dear, as pointers of truth and light Learners treated them with care, in morning's golden light Teachers respected themselves, as models of virtue and might Their dignity unbroken, like a beacon in the night But now in Nigeria's land, a different tale is told Society's regard for teachers, has grown cold Laws are formulated, to dictate and to bind Parents disdain and disrespect, with a violent and unkind mind They storm the schools and homes, with anger and with spite Beating and abusing teachers, without a glimmer of light Students follow suit, with scorn and mockery's sting Teachers, once revered, now abused, and left to cling To a dignity that's lost, like autumn's fading leaves Teachers themselves, now beggars, with a slave's pleading eaves They jump at every opportunity, despite the meager pay Their self-respect, like shattered glass, in disarray But still we hope, for a brighter dawn to break When teachers will be cherished, for the wisdom they undertake When society will respect, the noble profession they hold And teachers, once again, will stand tall, with a dignity to unfold So let us join hands, to make the crooked straight To restore the honor, of the teaching profession's weight For when we value teachers, we value knowledge and the mind And a brighter future beckons, for all humanity to find.