Our Youth Need…
The young have not been so lucky,
their world defined by death and rage,
We had freedom, they have a cage,
locked up safe from the dying spree.
The fool and wisdom disagree,
on how to save democracy.
Our youth drown in hypocrisy,
as blue label fights red label.
They need foundations firm…stable,
with no games of bureaucracy.
I wrote this poem in part because of my son. A couple of months ago he came in contact with a classmate who had Covid-19. That of course meant he had to be quarantined. We all wore masks…because he’s a 16-year-old boy who forgets what meal of the day he’s eating. Meaning there was no way we were trusting him to wear a mask all the time. Things at school went downhill from there, well not all downhill, but a class here or there. He had to do remote learning and some teachers didn’t know how to use the equipment very well, and you can’t really learn Chemistry all that well from what is basically a skype call.
One teacher is a bit of a difficult one, and the boy has been stressed more than we realized. He was out two days sick, not from anything, just mentally psyched out and throwing up for two days. It turns out he has the hardest class schedule in his entire school, and it’s a college prep school. Imagine having 1 AP class, meaning a college credit class, the hardest class in the school, 3 Honors classes, and the rest College Prep classes except for Band where he’s an officer and section leader.
What we didn’t know was that while he was quarantined he was constantly worried he might end up with something that could potentially kill him. That on top of trying to keep up with two weeks of classwork and tests.
Anyway, that’s where we are. Just trying to get to winter break and a clean slate begins. We just hope his current slate isn’t a shattered mess. For a boy who has been identified as gifted, and identified as a Duke Tip student, and been in the national junior honor society and now Beta Club, this has been a huge blow for him.
How to write an Espinela or Décima poem.
Whether you enjoyed my poem or not, please click the link below to head to this week’s challenge page and visit some of the loyal in the comments who keep coming back to write using this style of poetry that is so accomodating to different ideas and more difficult than you may think to write. And it’s a great feeling to know you’re writing in a style created hundreds of years ago in Spain.
My entry for this week’s Décima Poetry Challenge NO. 34 STABLE.
© 2020- Ronovan Hester Copyright reserved. The author asserts his moral and legal rights over this work.
ronovanwrites 
Many, many kids are feeling so stressed right now. You might be able to reach out and have a counselor be an ear for him to talk to.
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It’s so tough.
I had both mine at home for two weeks last fortnight. While was still going into my school to teach… Anxiety hits them so much and online learning is so hard!
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Aww… I hope he gets through it. Maybe not right away but slowly.
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That’s a lot of pressure for such a young boy Ronovan, feeling that he has to perform to expectations whilst worrying about carrying a potentially fatal disease. Open honest conversation and support will help him and knowing that his best under the circumstances is still a huge achievement and something to be proud of.
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He knows as long as he passes, I’m okay with it. Even if he comes up short, as long as he’s showing that he’s doing something, I’m good. He’s putting the pressure on himself. He wants the clubs and the GPA and everything. He’s had a 4.0 his entire school years, so this is tough. I’m chill about things, I let him talk about cars and stupid things, and how strong he is, and how many more weights he needs so he can work out more. The problem comes when the other parent tries to help him move forward with his work, to remind him or ask if he was able to get this or that done. He says any reminder just stresses him out more. But, when nothing is showing as getting done and we know he wants to achieve goals, the reminders and questions have to be asked, or we’re not being responsible parents. I was never asked as a kid. I moved from a straight-A life in a good city school to a country school that was so far behind, I was told to sit there until they caught up. By the time they caught up, I’d checked out, and never studied or cracked a book until I started university when I was 21. (I worked after graduating high school. And I was an A, B, C student back then, then a 3.5-4.0 student in college because I enjoyed learning and studying again.)
That’s the concern. We don’t want him checking out. We’ve got next semester figured out, we just have to make it to winter break without him imploding.
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Wishing you both all the strength and support you need 🙏
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It’s so hard for students of any age at anytime especially if they are gifted Ron but this year has been a killer. Killing normality, aspirations, friendships, nerves!
He’s like all the extra bright young, we forget how fragile they can be. They peak too soon, burn out . It’s sounds like you all have his back, softly treading you will get him there. God, hopefully will help out with a better 2021 💜
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🙂 I’m the “Chill, Dude. Tell me about that truck you want when you get older.” person. I’m not the arguer, shouter. Wow, the fights he and his mother get into. But, I’m told not to interfere or I undermine her authority. Oh well. If she wants that burden and hassle, so be it. Although I do talk to him later about it. Bad boy, bad, bad. 🙂 He sees his mother and thinks about school. Me? Chill and relax and an ally.
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Yes there has to be one of each. I was always the pacifist… My husband resents the fact he was the disciplinarian now. He he feels I always put the boys first….I never did.💜
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Oh Ron, I am so sorry to hear about your boy–WOW, Way Stressed. I’ll step up my prayers (I pray for all the bloggers I Follow) for him and the rest of your family. Everything will work out all right (Rom 8:28)–we have a good GOOD Father!
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