Terry Ireland Poet Rhyme

Decorum

You sat still at Miss Binnington’s
No swinging legs or kicking feet
Back pressed against chair back
Bottom firmly held to chair seat.
Children seen but not heard
A rule very seldom broken
Only in reply could
Any word be spoken.

The starched table cloth
Pristine white and clean
Ironed and smooth with
Not a wrinkle to be seen.
Cake stand with its little cakes
Placed precisely in the centre
A reverent hush prevailed as we
Waited for Miss Binnington to enter,

Bearing tea in China cups
Delicate and thin
Really the only way then
To serve tea in.
A little  decorum followed 
Until she quietly departed
And then, only then, was
Our afternoon tea started.

Eat as silently as you could
As delicately as you were able
Only an uncultured yob dare
Put his elbows on the table.
Seventy years and more years ago
Miss Binnington’s now long gone
A more crazy and frenetic world
As the century rolled quietly  on.

Children these enlightened days
No longer sit silent and in awe -
Good manners and respect
Don’t seem to matter anymore.
Some times things change
A little more than they maybe ought to
I think sometimes we now
Throw out both baby and bath water.

♡Like0

Share Poem

---

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Ilene Bauer January 11, 2023 at 1:18 PM ha! it is hard to imagine children nowadays sitting so quietly and being intimidated by their teacher (or any adult), terry. i don't know if the story reached your shores, but a 6 year-old child shot his teacher during class here in the states. times certainly have changed! Terry Ireland January 12, 2023 at 3:22 AM Yes I say that sad news Ilene. Over here it’s juvenile knife crime rising, mainly teen on teen. So very sad.l

Speaks Volumes January 11, 2023 at 12:41 PM ln my younger day, l remember a child would stand so an adult could sit,,, now as they push past to get the seat, you're in danger of getting hit. A welcomed poem Terry, all too true. Even those brought up with manners these days, find it too uncool to display them. Tis a poem well written and very accurate. Terry Ireland January 12, 2023 at 3:21 AM Just over 40 years ago a friend, then a Consultant Child Psychologist, forecast this. He said people weren’t disciplining their children becaue the feared their children wouldn’t like them. Sadly how right he was.