Show-And-Tell Poem by Gita Ashok

Many of us know very well
that Show-and-Tell
is a popular activity with kids
in pre-school classes.

The tiny hands,
nimble feet,
fertile brains,
happy hearts,
questioning eyes,
sensitive noses,
ever-receptive ears
and singing mouths
are ever too keen
for a Show-and-Tell.

What do these little kids
carry to class for a Show-and-Tell?
A tiny cage with a cute pet hamster,
a self-made photo frame,
a handful of rocks,
some germinating seeds,
a box of colorful beads,
a grasshopper in a jar,
a hand-painted card,
a self-assembled kaleidoscope,
a gold fish in a glass bowl,
multi-colored cut-outs of geometric shapes…
their imagination knows no bounds…
And in their innocent hearts,
joy forever abounds.

As adults what do we carry
to the classroom of life for a Show-and-Tell?
A string of academic degrees,
a wardrobe of designer clothes,
color-co-ordinated footwear and accessories,
a fleet of luxury cars,
several mansions and swanky vacation homes,
myriad stocks and shares,
multiple bank accounts,
customized, jazzy visiting cards,
an assortment of credit cards,
a plethora of fancy electronic gadgets…
Our greed knows no bounds…
And in our fastidious hearts,
craving forever abounds.

Why can’t our minds be like those of the little ones?
Finding joy in the smallest of things,
rousing our imagination from its deep sleep,
regaining the innocence of our childhood,
living only for the present moment
and cherishing the classroom of life to the fullest.



28 June 2010
11: 30 am