A Mother’s Love

One thing I have always been committed to is giving my children unconditional love. Loving them with all my heart absolutely without question through the good and bad times. I believe they each know that and I pray that they are uplifted by that because when that love is missing in a child’s life, or when love comes with conditions or is withheld or replaced with ostracism, or it’s benefaction is a consequence of a child fulfilling a parents request rather than being the bedrock of the relationship unconditionally, the fallout leaves an unfortunate legacy for a lifetime. For love is not a neatly packaged commodity that only comes out when everything goes well. True love weathers the storms and perseveres through thick and thin. It doesn’t barter. It doesn’t trick. It seeks truth and holds fast in sunshine and in rain.

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Back To School

And so the scram is imminent
In the back to school shop hell
With kids all moaning in the aisles
As Mums and Dads all yell
At their sweet little Darlings
After the long summer break
In an attempt to kit them out
As school return’s at stake

And thus chaos ensues as
The holidays run out
Midst toil and strife and much to do
And racket as Mum shouts
At Dad who in turn rants a bit
At Jonny and at Sue
Less pity the poor shop keeper
In such hullabaloo

But when alls done and all is said
They’ll return scrubbed up great
In blazers hanging round their toes
And shoes shined up first rate
And hair cuts cropped; pencils sharpened
Looking their damnedest best
Whilst parents breathe a relieved sigh
And say ‘Give me a rest’

School’s Out For Summer

School’s out for summer
The kids are really glad
Grandma’s baking extra cakes
And smiles have replaced sad
As teacher’s get a well earnt break
And Mum and Dad get space
To not be rushed to fit it all
Into the big rat race

And road users say “Praise the Lord”
Until the schools go back
Cos they’ll get there in double time
With empty lanes and tracks
And shop keepers rub greedy mitts
Thinking of all the sales
As kids sprout through the summer months
And clothes depart their rails

So that by 1^st September
When it’s time to return
Each child is cloaked in uniform
That says it’s time to learn
And also time to grow again
To have a chance to fit
Into the oversized jumper
And all other school kit

But for now let’s enjoy them
The holidays that is
Even though in a few short days
All will be in a tizz
With parents pulling out their hair
And cursing just how tough
It is to occupy young minds
Swearing they’ve had enough!

Empty Nest

As children start to leave the nest
There’s certain comfort sure
That we’ll still share the moon and stars
And sunshine evermore

For as the moon beams brightly and
Stars twinkle way up high
Or sunlight shines each waking day
We’re linked by constant sky

Reminding that as family
We’ll always be combined
Despite the distance; miles between
Our hearts will stay entwined

English: Stork nest in Silves, Portugal (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Teens

They said the teens would sometimes be
A trial; a testing time
A time when doors were slammed in face
And moods would rock not rhyme

They said that attitudes would be
Perplexing at the least
That from such sweet and charming child
Would rise pubescent beast

They mentioned that all speech would be
Replaced with teenage grunt
That hormones would then wax less wane
And surge unchecked rampant

They said to batten down the hatch
To put an armour on
Against the throws of teenage might
When thy will not be done!

But therein lies the issue
For in the teenage years
The will becomes a sticky thing
A battle of ideas

As young minds learn to realize
What makes them think and tick
Their values; not those of their folks
No longer ruled by sticks

A time where pure autonomy
Becomes the thing that they
Harbinger after and crave for
Save each and every day

A time when they take up the wheel
To find a pathway clear
Where wise parents help read the map
But let their teen then steer

Where cars still have dual brake systems
Yet just one set of gears
And plans and dreams stretch out ahead
Reigns loosened year on year

So when they say the teens will be
A trial; a testing time
Take heart for it is not always
And can be just sublime!

Teens sharing earphones, listening music outdoor. Summer time. This image is taken from SCA’s international report Hygiene Matters 2010. For more info, please visit http://www.hygienematters.com . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To

To hold a child’s small hand
To hear their fast heart beat
To listen to their song and rhyme
To walk their steps petite
To hear their worries and their toils
To understand their mind
To take the time so selflessly
To give; to be so kind
To uplift all their worth
To cherish their esteem
To speak with love; to act the same
To let them hope and dream
To pray for their safe keeping
To keep them from all ill
To save them from a fallen path
To bid them their free will
To accept them as they are
To teach them every day
To lead them to green pastures
To believe in what they say
To honour and protect them
To help them do their part
To see the good and happiness
To hold their hand and heart

 

holding hands (Photo credit: aarongilson)

 

The Gift of Free Will

An evil witch crept up one day
Upon a small dear boy
To steal from him his treasured prize
His gift, his skill, his toy

She came with wart upon her nose
With hat so very black
With gruesome cackle, broomstick bright
With lies, deceit a-whack

But in disguise she masked herself
All dressed in robes to trust
With academic gown and cap
A position so robust

She prepped a cauldron of despair
Lost hope the spell she cast
And in the place of frogs and snails
She cooked a spell to last

She spoke of expectations
She told the boy what she
Thought he should do, what he should think
She zapped autonomy

She added in incentives
Of rewards’ compliant pill
She threatened hurt and punishment
If he failed to bid her will

She ransomed him with sweeties
Then blackmailed him with her curse
To act just as she wanted him
With smiles but rather terse

And then when he’d submitted
She vanished out of sight
To leave the small child quite confused
His life without a light

His heart so wrenched and sold out
To the witch who stole his prize
The gift of independence and free will
Consumed by her disguise

This poem reflects on a year when reports of adults abusing their position to obtain control over young impressionable children seems to have been quite prevalent.  From the teacher running off to France with one of his pupil’s to parent’s abusing, in some cases even murdering, their own children, we live in a world where those that have a duty of care over our children often abuse their position.  The end result is never a happy one and can happen to any child, so if there’s one thing we can all try and wrap up this Christmas, I pray it will be the gift of autonomy and free will for our children, and in giving them that undertake to move into 2014 nurturing this gift in their lives so that their outcomes honour their expectations and aspirations and not anyone else’s.

We should point out that none of these poems are about a specific individual or identify anyone in particular  (click here for full disclaimer)