SCHOOL
Holidays are out and over
Like the sand between my toes and fingers.
Now it's time to go back
To the deathtrap known as school.
Make new friends
Break school rules
And use our very own money to spend
On the food they sell there.
The teachers are like creatures,
And murderers who kill you
By giving homework
Out of the blue
Friends is someone we treasure,
For our friendship is a gift.
And make the world we live in,
A better and happier place
The Son is in Secondary School by Affran Sa’
My badge has a Latin motto
Hope for the future
The future is hope
Or something
At times black crows try to interrupt
When we sing the National Anthem
It is difficult to maintain
The whiteness of my shoes
Especially on Wednesdays
I must admit there is something quite special
About the bare thighs of hardworking scouts
The Malay chauffeurs
Who wait for my schoolmates
Sit on the car park kerb
Telling jokes to one another
Seven to the power of five is unreasonable
On Chinese New Year Mrs Lee dressed up
In a sarong kebaya
And sang Bengawan Solo
The capital of Singapore is Singapore
My best friend did a heroic thing once
Shaded all A’s
For his Chinese Language
Multiple-choice paper
In our annual yearbook
There is a photograph of me
Pushing a wheelchair and smiling
They caught me
At the exact moment
When my eyes were actually closed
The poet is reminiscing about the times, both good and bad, he had in Secondary School. His badge, which probably meant a lot to him, gave him hope to do stuff. Then, when black crows tried to interrupt the National Anthem, he was relating the fun times he had in Secondary School. "The Malay chauffeurs who wait for my schoolmates sit on the car park kerb telling jokes to one another" probably states the close bond between schoolmates. At the last few lines, when his "best friend did a heroic thing once shaded all A’s" for the exam papers and the photograph with the poet's eyes closed indicates the joyful and wonderful times he had.
But does he remember anything about his academics? Teachers are like creatures and murderers? We're just trying to help, honest. Now choose 2 classmates and comment on their analysis and poem.
ReplyDeleteWow Zhong Sheng. Poem is kinda humorous! Yeah! Humorous, perhaps in my point of view. Can't help smiling... Hmmmm... About the poem analysation, I think that it isn't all about fun. Some kind of ... sorrow like he misses those days, and is saddened by the fact they will never be replayed.
ReplyDeleteHey Zhong Sheng, I think you analyzed the last few lines incorrectly. The photograph with the poet's eyes closed does not indicate the joyful and wonderful times he had. It means that he blinked at the exact moment when his class photo was taken. That's not joyful or wonderful is it?
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