A child’s mind explodes,
“Classrooms are prisons
And we will not be told
What to learn, and why,
And what to believe,
And what to buy.”
We tear up our room,
We tear off the bars,
We run to the beach,
We remember the stars.
Our breathing slows,
Our panic ebbs away,
Our bare feet in the sands
Our ears on the waves
Our hearts in your hands.
We are one with the water
And one with the land.
“Our school is here,” we cry,
“In these breathable spaces,
Outside of the cages,
The judgemental faces.”
The parents sigh, knowing
The children are right, and knowing
The cost of speaking
Our Truth
To a system immersed
In reducing our worth.
So, we sit on the beach
And understand that we are
Fire, Earth, Water and Air.
We find peace in the sun knowing
That we and our ecos are one.
We dream of the guides
Who will help us see true
Who will understand pain and
How to find a way through.
And the mentors that we’re
Seeking to teach us,
The ones who see through
Are the Elders who helped
Us believe what we already knew.
***
This poem is dedicated to all of the educators who broke down the walls and guided their children into the sacred spaces and places, close to nature, inspired to be good stewards of this miracle that is our Home Planet. And to all of the students who taught us the “normal” is not. The way I see it.
Skid Crease, Caledon