.
It takes all sorts to make our world –
our nation –
short and tall, fat or thin,
young and old, scared or bold,
our rainbow presentation
(the Arch said it well).
But nineteen years down the line
FREEdom is still a dream
For the man in the street,
edUCAtion fails us year after year;
no pick-me-up for those in need,
jobs are scarCe and money worse.
What’s to do, if at all…
do we run or do we fall…
do we have a hero to douse the flames –
or a Nero to play his fiddle while we burn?
©Denise G Allen, 04 April 2013 06:03
Adeeyoyo's Blog 
05/04/2013 at 8:52 am
Honest words of wisdom…
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05/04/2013 at 11:20 am
Thanks for the read, BD. 🙂 Btw, poems don’t have to rhyme, they can have a beat or rhythm instead or as well.
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05/04/2013 at 10:21 am
The everlasting problem, Denise. The heart of all is jobs. Education is not important until we have a vision of what we are called to do.
I didn’t do university, I did a 5 year apprenticeship, and learned on the job, getting paid as I did so.
But I fed our family and helped to bring them up. They have learned to live on whatever is available to them, as we had to, with 4 kids.
There is always a way for those who have been given vision.
John
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05/04/2013 at 10:53 am
Sorry, John, I was talking of schooling. I don’t think there is any minimum age or standard of schooling before which one is not allowed to leave (as it used to be in my day). Many cannot afford to go to school for various reasons like distance to travel, having to help around the house/farm, etc., also street kids. Those who can afford it only think of universities without knowing where their particular talents lie i.e. university education equals a good job with more pay. People all want high paying jobs. It is basic education that needs to be jacked up here. Teachers’ Training Colleges were closed years ago. Last year they said they would be reopened. I will find out if that has happened…
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05/04/2013 at 10:42 am
You have it in a nutshell, adee. Eternal questions it seems. 😦
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05/04/2013 at 11:23 am
Yes, but hopefully to be resolved one day, AD. 🙂
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05/04/2013 at 11:14 am
Your mention of Nero reminded me of this
http://bennaga.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/poem-for-the-last-days/
I wrote a note to go along with this poem.
“We live in a time and place where seriously worrying things are happening. What is the place of poetry in that world?”
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05/04/2013 at 11:25 am
Very nice one, Ben. Poor Nero has a lot to answer for… I really like your note. What, indeed? Only to say our say and hope and pray…
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05/04/2013 at 11:42 am
An education, at the very least, is the right of all but unfortunately not always the reality – SA has a very long way to go but so do many so-called first-world countries. Inequality everywhere and getting worse 😦
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05/04/2013 at 2:01 pm
I agree with you, BB. Thanks. 🙂
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05/04/2013 at 8:14 pm
all it takes is one to stand up and make enough noise that others start to listen and do something about it…def a firm believer in advocacy when it becomes education…
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06/04/2013 at 5:56 am
I have always believed that education/training is the key to upliftment…
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07/04/2013 at 4:42 am
You are such a word-gifted woman.
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07/04/2013 at 6:28 am
Thank you so much, Jeannie. If God hadn’t given me this talent, and if I hadn’t discovered it so late in life, I don’t know where I would be right now. It has helped me to put the past into perspective.. and spring cleaned my brain…
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