Friday, December 20, 2013

Delousing Time

      
Delousing Time
          
So Christmas comes – and brings, to some, relief.
When schools are closed, the teachers then can sleep,
And so indeed can students – quite a few,
Who stayed up nights on all the items due.

And workers, where there’s simply Christmas, might
Enjoy, perhaps, a bit more rest at night.
But sadly, Commerce rules.  As Christmas comes,
Along with carols, hark – the sound of drums!

They’re calling out to shoppers – “Come and buy!
Consume, consume – and never question why!”
And so you'll see the parents, haggard, seek
For gizmos.  Shopping’s not for those who’re weak.

Thanksgiving, once, was a holiday from jobs,
Except for those who cooked for their nabobs.
But now, we see the stores are open wide.
And at their gates – beware, the human tide!  

And so with Christmas.  As the solstice nears
And passes, we’re besieged with nibbling fears.
So Christmas too becomes a time for worry.
The ones who profit never say they’re sorry.

But still, we’re happy, those who teach at schools,
Who’re treated, through their working lives, like fools.
A week or more to rest, to clean the house,
Do catch-up work and also – to delouse…

For though our schools have long been human mills,
They test yet more our patience, souls and wills.
And infestations grow within our minds,
Whose purging now proceeds, as each unwinds.

So Christmas is delousing time for us,
When teachers breathe – and in their instincts trust.
And then, till June, we’ll labor.  Lice will breed –
And on our souls, till summer, bite and feed.

Whoever engineered this servitude,
Should now be blessed with true beatitude.
Let Bloombergs grow yet richer, every day.
“We’ll work yet harder!” grateful workers say.

We labor for our students, yet we ask,
Who profits most from every thankless task?
Our students – or the ones who want them herded?
I'll whisper now...  So tell me, if you heard it.

;-)

2013 December 20th, Friday
Brooklyn, New York

 Comments are welcome.  Please see below.
 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another fantastic poem. Thank you!
Happy Holidays! with appreciation,
Ellen Ruth Topol

Arjun Janah said...

Thanks, Ellen Ruth Topol, for reading "Delousing Time" and for your kind comment.