What Is Happening

What Is Happening? Yes, the little Genie asked What is happening? Children aren’t being taught To tell time, They can’t look at the clock and Know whether it’s one o’clock Or it’s 10 o’clock Who is teaching the children? Yes, the little Genie asked What is happening? Children aren’t being taught Cursive writing They can’t write their names What a sad thing to know The art of handwriting Is being let go, Yes, the little Genie asked What is happening? Children can’t do simple Math, They can’t add numbers together Like 32 + 9 Or like 25 + 11 Or like 19 + 7 They can’t make change Math is not being taught They rely on computers and calculators, All they know is their gadgets and Their social media, They don’t like to read And enjoy a good book, Reading is not part of their lives, So sadly, they will be the Most boring people And the most uninformed, Never letting their imaginations soar, All they know is gadgets and video games And computers and social media, So few of them have any interest in a musical instrument They have no appreciation for music; So few of them have any interest in gardening, They know very little about Planting seeds and watching a flower or a fruit tree or a vegetable grow, So few of them have any interest in learning to knit, crochet, sew or do needlepoint, They are not domesticated, So few of them know about having a train hobby, or collecting baseball cards, or Building airplane models, They are not into hobbies, So, the little Genie asked, What is Happening? Celine Rose Mariotti