The Big Social Malaise Poem by Emily Liang

Walking on the streets
I see no child at ease
Worn out faces, exhausted eyes
Drained out souls, and heavy sighs
Tonnes of books weigh down fragile shoulders
Pressure that pins them down like gigantic boulders.
Kids run around in circles, attend all sorts of classes
But, parents, think, is it really a must?
For your child to memorise the whole encyclopedia,
Clinch all the gold medals at Science Olympiads
Be the Prima Donna in every ballet concert,
Serve as the Soloist at every concerto
The fastest to cross the finish line in every race
Run like the wind, at a cheetah's pace
Solve Ph.D Math like programmed machines
Skilled in all the little things
Like sewing, cooking, writing, friend-making
But I'm afraid, I'm sorry to say
Such perfect children are non-existent today
Forcing knowledge down their throats
Is like too many people on a flimsy boat
No sooner, it is going to sink,
Faster than anyone can blink and think.
They are kids, not robots, take it easy
Packed schedules, no time, so darned busy
How can you expect a child to learn so much
Syllabus so hard and tough as such
Think of yourself back then,
Were you taught all these so young, my friend?
If no, then why are you doing this to your child
To master all these, he's going to go wild
Children are meant to go out and play
To draw, and laugh, and relish today
Pet kittens, go skipping and attend sleep-overs
Cycle, play baseball, and compare the newest transformers.
There's a time for everything, there's no need to rush
One step at a time, don't make a big fuss.
It's okay if they don't get things at first
That's learning, and slowly their colours will burst
Get them to enjoy the nature they see
Listen to music, and set their hearts free
Explore their surroundings, cultivate curiosity
Help others in need, exercise generosity.
That is how a child is meant to grow
Train up a child in the way he should go
Extra classes rob childhood fun
Children become dull in the long run
Instead of being ahead of the rest
They end up as the last of the pack
We need to solve this Big Social Malaise
If not, our children will never realise
They'll gradually sink in this whole big lie.