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This poem is based on a Hebrew poem. It is a reaction to the publishing of the provocative (but not very productive…) “Dovrat Report”, which is a plan of the Israeli Ministry of Education to create major reforms in the Israeli schools.
Meet the excited six-year-old Kyle, He’s young and fresh but he sure has style: He’s got the coolest backpack from the coolest store, Spiderman notebooks, crayons and more.
Kyle is sober, his expression stern. Kyle must work for twelve years and learn. “I don’t want to be wise!” Kyle cries. “For school takes so long , and I am still so small! How on earth will I have time to play ball?”
Don’t cry, little Kyle – keep up your hopes. For the ministry of education is full of old dopes. It won’t take any time, until in this holy land – The burden called “literature” will be lawfully banned. Forget about Dickens, do leave out Twain, Joyce is too boring, Hemmingway – vain!
History will be kicked right out the door. The story of our world won’t be taught anymore. After all: the past is dead, and our future – ahead!
And if we’ve started already, dear Kyle, Why should we study books like the bible? The language is tough, the wording is rough, Isn’t our stressful agenda enough? Oh, and speaking of language, Hebrew’s so out . If we use only English at school, There’s nothing here to fuss about!
So you see, little Kyle, there’s no need to fear. Education’s not worth a politician’s sneer. Have your last six years passed without trouble? Don’t you worry; we won’t burst your bubble.
Knowledge is power, and your power makes us weak, So down with education, let Dovrat supporters speak!
As the Queen of England said long ago, (Well, that’s already much more than you need to know…) I hereby pronounce you a knight of the realm: Illiterate, vulgar, and bound to my helm.
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Beanny, you obviously worked hard to get the rhyming in there. Like Scott, I found the tone of it to be a little jumpy, but it definitely did keep my attention.
My own preference is for poetry that doesn't have such a structured rhyme to it, so I can't be a very good judge for you. I can appreciate the work, but the sing-song nature of rhyming couplets (all of them, not just yours ) is too distracting for me to lend an unprejudiced ear.
Keep writing, though! It feeds the soul. And if you post here for feedback, you are sure to get some useful feedback.
[ January 10, 2005, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
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) is too distracting for me to lend an unprejudiced ear.
