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Cruel To Be Kind

The cat, they say, sat on the mat,
while Johnny climbed a tree,
when reading books when I was young
that’s what was meant to be.

Now Johnny, cats, and even mats
no longer can we see
and, god forbid, the youngsters now
would never climb a tree!

As life moves on and standards change
is everything quite right,
as evolution takes a hand
do we even need to write?

I know, it seems, at school nowadays,
they don’t appear to care
if spellings wrong or writing’s scrawl
or even if kids swear.

Reading, ‘riting ‘rythmatic
foundations one might say,
no longer are the building blocks
of what is learned today.

With three Rs not important
what is it that’s now taught,
taking care of number 1
and all else counts for nought?

Independence, human rights,
as they apply to ‘me’,
if you don’t get your every need
then scream ‘diversity’.

The very things that matter most
have now turned on their head
and values of our bygone age
are very nearly dead.

How could we treat our kids this way,
it’s us who made the rules,
and thinking that we really cared
removed some vital tools.

For discipline’s essential
if we're going to win life's fight
and learning needs attention
if we’re going to get things right.

We cannot blame the children
if we do not show the way,
at times a nudge is needed
when they go too far astray.

So bring the bloody cane back
and the strap, and many ‘lines’
and teach the little buggers
and ignore their constant whines.

I am sure that starting caring
in this way that we will find
that although it seems like cruelty
it’s the best way to be kind!

Number 1 is primary,
that’s the way it is today
but with ‘proper’ education
could three 'R's return to stay?

Ivor G Davies

Copyright © Ivor Davies | Year Posted 2015

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