Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Education


For Three Word Wednesday, prompt words false, sallow, illustrate. Also submitted to dVerse OpenLinkNight

Education

He labored hard
at his homework,
tongue hanging out

in deliberate effort
as if the future
happiness of humankind

depended on his
answers. Squinting
in the sallow light

of the desk lamp,
the little boy
chooses True or

False, or arranges
numbers in neat rows
on a page, or illustrates

the digestive system
in Crayola cross-section,
while a single bird

lands lightly on a limb
outside  his window,
singing for joy.

26 comments:

  1. This piece leaves me feeling like that little bird..maybe it's not really about what you colour or arrange..it's all about the tongue hanging out..knowing that working on yourself is how to get ahead..jae

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    1. Jae, it's great to see you at it again--thanks for your kindness.

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  2. It is hard sometimes when you are younger to sit there and study hard when birds are outside of the window

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    1. Thanks Sheilagh. I think I would have been a better student in school if there were no windows.

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  3. "Tongue hanging out" is excellent visual to start this piece. I can see the little guy laboring away.

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    1. MaryAnn, thanks. Having known a few people who concentrate in this way, the image was strong in my mind.

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  4. Ahh...and.. we wonder which is more important. Very vivid word painting. I can see this young boy, tongue out, full of concentration, yet, the arrival of the bird seems take us to what matters most maybe...simply..life.
    Lovely poem Nico.

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    1. Thank you, Bren. Most education nowadays is focused on career and earning potential. We forget sometimes to sing.

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  5. you paint quite a picture here. the crayola cross-section illustration of the digestive systems sounds quite interesting.

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    1. RMP, thanks. Kids can work wonders with a box of crayons.

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    1. And I am happy with your comment, Chris. Thanks so much.

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  7. smiles...love his concentration...homework is def not always easy for kids...i appreciate that working in education now....

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    1. Brian, my thanks. I always raced through my homework as quickly as possible--a few hours outside before supper were highly valued!

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  8. I am sure what was going on outside was more interesting to him than his homework; but it is good that he had perseverance and kept to his task. An interesting study here!

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    1. Thanks Mary. Perseverance is a good thing, but sometimes the distractions hold the best lessons!

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  9. That little bird is clearly an impetus for him to finish his homework and dash off outside to really live. The call of the wild was strong for me a a child so I was a mediocre student. I loved that I was able to relate to this personally.

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    1. Rob, thanks for relating--another wild child!

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  10. oh i wish my son had ever taken his homework so serious...you know..he would've sung with the bird outside the window...smiles...but love when kids concentrate on their work with heart and soul..

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    1. Claudia, thanks--singing with the birds is a Good Thing.

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    1. Thanks Sabio--I think the little boy would be better off to sneak outside, but don't tell my own kids that!

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  12. My own school-days were so long ago that they were before the general advent of home-work. Wasn't I lucky! Mind you - had I had home-work, the bird would have won my attention. Nice one Nico.

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    1. Leigh, thanks--my kids have less homework than I had growing up, so maybe there is a return to sanity on the part of the US educational system. Really, you want to make a kid sit for 7-8 hrs a day, and then give him or her more sit-down work at home--and not expect bad results?

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  13. I love the lightness of this piece; unforced and airy.

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  14. Thanks J, this is a fine compliment.

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