A Privileged Education

A PRIVILEGED EDUCATION

Just within reach of a soft whisper,
I swear I can hear the small voice,
Weeping, of an innocent boy, 
Held in limbo out of an ice-bound past,
As I stare at black and white photos,
Framed within a dust-covered album. 

The dispersing fog from sealed up years
Is swept away, as insidious grief 
Rolls out as a vast tsunami of
Memories, all set in stone.

I remember the dull uniform 
Of conformity in the fresh-cut faces 
Of newly-pressed recruits
To the collective madness
Of benighted generations.

As craven sheep within the exclusive fold,
They never break fraternal chains
Which bind them close to the smothering
Of elongated cradles where a 
Parent’s loving care holds no sway.

Emerging as lifelong, hardened victims
To catastrophic nightmares 
Where endless is their perfect failure
To be set free from the sharp embrace 
Of nanny’s tightened apron strings,
They are driven on to become
The finest crop of future leaders.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2022

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Drayton Avatar
October 12, 2022 at 7:11 AM
The effects of boarding school can be devastating and have long-lasting effects. I believe that when I came out as a gay man just over 10 years ago, I was finally able to put to rest once and for all the negative aspects which had blighted my life. Those who have been to the top public schools in the UK often lack emotional intelligence. They cannot empathize because they live without being able to express their feelings.
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