Little Soldiers
You stand in a silent line one behind the other.
Finger to her lips, hushing you, little soldiers.
A pathetic chain gang of conformants
Not a sound as you march
Not a smile or emotion can be seen
All looking in awe at your assembly.
What is wrong with this scene?
Who are you? What are you being taught?
Where is your excitement, your eagerness?
Stripped away-lost for the sake of conformity.
Is this really what you are to become?
Losing your genuine love of school.
Stand tall, little soldiers
Step away, skip down the hall, all smiles and giggles
Filling the empty passage ways.
Be brave, little soldiers.
Show another way.
It’s not defiance, nor is it disrespect.
Yes… you do need rules, guidance and balance.
But really, you need to be who you are.
Managed by your teachers
Benign entities with no sense of identity.
“Make your stories come alive”, they tell you during writing time.
Come alive, little soldiers
Hop, dance ,laugh with the others.
You’re not rule breakers
Too young for limits. Playful
free and alive.
Can’t you be children? …. simply children.
