School Memories
Pelham Road, SW19,
long and straight,
my school.
The Cane,
long and straight.
I remember you both.
School Haiku
Best days of your life?
You must be having a laugh
Worst days of my life.
For Some, Treasure…
For some, the best years of their life.
They treasure those memories,
their favourite, never-to-be-forgotten, teacher
that encouraged them to live their dreams.
For others, the worst years of their life.
Thus, it was for me.
The Alsatian that attacked me
on my way to school
was scary
but, not as frightening as what awaited me
in that old Victorian building.
The nose bleed on my way to school
that took me to hospital
before arriving at the casualty that was my school,
which bled me dry of my spirit.
Caned, in primary school,
for accidentally kicking the ball
against the headmaster’s car and,
when older, ridiculed by those
employed to encourage me
and prepare me for…what?
If treasure was to be found in my school days
it was buried far too deep, by those
who were meant to help me dig it up.
The spade remained in the shed.
And yet, many years later,
I did find treasure in education.
It changed me
and opened the treasure chest of life
with all its riches.
Malcolm Henshall – June 2022
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