Today he’s off to London
I feel a little sad
But may this Richard Whittington
Find gold and nothing bad
As on those cobbles nightly
He stumbles home to bed
With lager in his belly and
A thumping pounding head
Yet in the days let him be stretched
And filled up to brim
With nuggets of pure knowledge that
Will make him smart not dim
So that his future pathways will
Be made of all that gleams
So, go now my son and do your best
And live your wildest dreams
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’
I swear that student kitchens
Are a witness to the fact
That humans are resilient
Or could it just be that
They are a breed so set apart
Who thrive on mould and rot
That grows deep in their fridges
And even cooking pots
And that this green bacteria
Is their friend over foe
For sure as hell, it seems that they
Can cultivate and grow
The damn stuff in its masses
In cups, on food and more
Faster than any other place
And even up the door!
And so despite the warnings
From health authorities
In student kitchens countrywide
It’s cultured rampantly
In what one can only assume
Takes scientific test
And finds significance to say
That students like mould best!
And so to all who leave today
Fly from the nest that’s school
Go forth resolved to grab the cup
Of options and the tools
That you have gained these years now gone
The lessons you have learned
Inspired to contribute; enjoy
Where work and play’s concerned
With goodness, grace, integrity
Go onwards with respect
Responsibility and care
Determined to prospect
A future that exceeds your dreams
One where you shine with might
A future that you’re proud to own
A future that is bright
Stop! Wait a minute
What else can I do
Bar focussing on this
Bringing right into view
The end of the task
That on table top lays
Be it jobs I don’t like
Or the next TMA
For to ponder is greater
Than the drive to complete
The thing that’s before me
To conquer; defeat
And err or procrastinate
Put off and delay
The inevitable; inescapable
Assignment today!
Arms of the Open University (400 × 397 px; 256,136 bytes) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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)
Hark! Hear the song of youth
The zest of tender years
Enthusiasm’s verdant burst
Cross innocent frontiers
The zeal for pastures new
Fresh lust for life each day
The zing in step and fettle
Their zany springtime way
And hear their laughter on the wind
Their youthful chatter sung
Their appetite; vivacity
The anthems of the young
There’s a certain kind of Candy
OU students all adore
The one that pats your back and says
That essay is no-more
No-more reading and re-reading
Correcting as you go
Eye candy that just celebrates
An essay’s done – hoho!
But what is it – this candy?
Is it sweet as sugar cane
A certificate or A* mark
A mark supreme to reign
No it’s a little printed message
On screens that just reads out
“Your submission has been received”
Not much to shout about
But it means your next assignment
Has gone right down the line
For now you can sit back a bit
Enjoy a glass (or two) of wine!
“Yes, I think the answer is a test
To see what you can do”
The teacher said as he arrived
The class now feeling blue
“Let’s test you to assess how you’ll
Do when we test again
To test the test that will test you
To test what’s in your brain”
“Yes an exam, mid-term review
Assessment, mock or test
Just call it what you want to say
A trial. Now don’t get stressed!
And then we’ll do it all again
Exams now tit for tat”
The teacher said as he arrived
No surprise he was called “Pratt”
“But Mr Pratt” the class implored
What is the point you make
To test the test that you will test
The test we might retake!
What is the reason for these tests
That happen every day!
Oh, Mr Pratt – when will we learn?
It’s not the only way?”
With every best wish to all those taking mocks in the next few weeks 🙂
Students taking a test at the University of Vienna at the end of the summer term 2005 (Saturday, June 25, 2005). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Ginz&Tonic 