Education has produced a vast population
They spend twelve months
teaching children to walk and then talk
and the next twelve years
teaching them to sit down and shut up
when all you have to do
is teach them all to read
its a source of amusement and fun
to happy little minds
Source : Trevelyan, Diller, Gilchrist and Plato (Via P. 96 & 97 of QIs Book of Quotations)
#Everythingchanges
Salford 6th August 2018
Someone I knew told me of life’s big secret
It’s not all laid out for you, you make your own paths
Things that seem important to you
Success, Jobs, Money, Ambition
all go to brass tacks from the view of a hospital bed
so you follow the road set in front of you
hoping you don’t hit the crack in the floor
hoping you stay healthy, and stable and wise
and staying one step from being poor
for those streetwise enough on the corner
are one step away from the street
so they’re selling a publication
to get cover from the cold of the neet.
Salford 12th February 2018
Coming to a big decision is
Really down to you
Of course, you have the choices laid out for you
Smorgasbord of things to do , and places to go
Some helpful advice from teachers, academics and of course, family
Reactions from friends – expected – they might be sad but
Over time – they’ll respect your decision
After you’ve weighed up all the advice
Dont panic – and
Somehow you’ll go down the right path
25th January 2017
They’re chopping down a field of trees
in the name of education,
they need the wood you see
“For the pencils!” they all plea
but its not just education
but houses and furniture too
there’s plots of brown compacted soil
where once – a lush forest grew
And passing through the area
down a freshly tarmacked road
you can see where JCBs dug up land
to build some new abode
But Parents children and Grandparents too
don’t like losing the plot of their trees
so they’re stood outside the entrance
hoping someone will hear their pleas.
For what is the sign of progress ?
clogged roads and towers – they’re not keen
they prefer their homes nice and quiet
in their oasis of green.
Young minds wondered aimlessly
around the museum space
hearing the sounds around them
as they found their place
The colour returned – to their eyes
upon seeing my trolley – to my surprise
and hearing a colleague veterans tale
it was like we’d found the holy grail
Stories were told as they wore the hats
and genuine interest grew from these cats
as enthusiasm blossomed around our bit
The teacher wanted to bottle it…
For as the veteran told his tale
the enthusiasm blossomed without fail
and communication started tween young and old
as a tale of the home front it was told.
The scroll of paper
was pinned to the wall
ready for action
It remained as it was
for a number of minutes
as little thinkers – Thought
Blank white paper
with nothing to say
but – “FILL ME IN”
Suddenly a word, two or three
accompanied by colours diagrams and pictures
explode from the white – Reds Greens and Blues
Ideas, Opinions, Conceptions
filling up the space
forming a finished picture
And with Masterpiece complete
the story presented
The picture is stored away for safe keeping
Revealing – Another Blank Space
