When I Was A Child I Believed
When I was a child
a very young child
I looked at the world
of adults in discussion
their patterns of interaction
their comments reactions
a very strange world
differences between what adults said
and what child were told
their masks worn
and I thought about what
they did and why?
Questions were asked
about what you wanted
to be when you grew up?
The work question was important,
but never asked was how well you
would do this work, and for who?
They were often silent or suddenly angry
‘children were to be seen but not heard’
the news to be listened to in serious silence.
First talk repeat their sounds
to smiles laughter
then don’t talk be silent listen?
First stand walk walk how far
then don’t walk stay wait
where your told don’t go away?
When adults met sometimes they would
start to talk a lot fast all at once not one
at a time and laugh a lot talk walk funny?
Why not be on their best behaviour
nice to others as they told children to be?
Why not choose to be good not bad?
Years later I would smile a lot why not
it costs nothing to smile and often others.
Would catch your smile and smile also?
Even when sad smiling was a good thing to do
to appreciate all you have been given.
[...] Read more
poem by Terence George Craddock
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