Stay Healthy

'By giving up our power 
We begin to empower'

"Why are you so shy
So quiet so meek"
"Go out, be social
There's so much to seek"

"You hardly ever sit still
And then you ask for a break"
"You really need to buck up"
"Be serious for heavens sake"

"You still can't read"
"You refuse to write"
"Going at this rate
Your future isn't bright"

"What do I do with you 
I haven't got a clue"
"You drive me mad"
"You make me feel blue" 

"You eat and stuff too much"
"You don't eat at all"
"You are so tiny"
"You are too tall"

"Your spellings are so poor"
"Your memory is so weak"
"You suck at maths and science"
"Your future is too bleak"

No matter what kids be
No matter what they say
They never seem enough
And they must always obey

We threaten, we control
We bully and blackmail 
We punish, we abuse 

While they rebel or wail

We assume we know better
We say its for their good
Unknowingly, in many ways
We scar their childhood 

We expect so much from them
To win and succeed
We turn them into robots
To their dreams we pay no heed

We expect, we judge
We project and we shame
All the joy and spontaneity 
We kill, as we tame 

What if we let them be
Take many steps back
Create a space of allowance
And cut them some slack

What if we truly listen 
To their ideas, their dreams
And let them take charge
However crazy it seems!

What if we stop instructing
The talking down, the preaching
What if we let them learn at their pace 
Stop pressurizing, let go of teaching 

What if we could be kinder
More caring, more present
What if we do what nourishes
Create memories that are pleasant 

We are not responsible 
For how they turn out to be
Give their life back in their hands
They will shine, you shall see.