They smiled with new hopes
Without burdens on their backs
The books told them stories
Not theories with only facts
They were free to run on the playground
To paint the town colorful
They were free to believe
Free to dream
Free to change the world
or just make one of their own
There were no boundaries
Only areas to explore
Debates to discuss
Views to agree or disagree
There were friends to be made
Teachers to guide
And then my eyes opened
Outside my window
was an old building
filled with children
crying for help…
Your surprise at the end struck me the first time and then made me all the more aware the next time I read. It seems that lately I’ve been keenly aware of the contrast between my romanticized nostalgia I have for my own school days and the reality so many children are facing now.