The tunnel of life

There was eagerness and fright in equal parts;

As the kids inched into the school wearing out their hearts.

Nudged by their parents to take a bold forward step;

Into the classroom to their teachers welcoming prep.

It was the parents who struggled to let their children go;

Clinching their hand as they tread their kids tow.

Futile they knew, yet struggled to break that bond;

But it was time for kids to see the world, family and parents beyond.

Our schooling system I think, is an inevitable trap;

Where futures are chalked on preset map.

Our birth on earth and the walk into school themselves are a tapering path;

The education degrees and careers are just a narrow aftermath.

~Narendra V Joshi

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My son started going to school this week. It was a big day for him and more so for my wife and me. We went to drop him at the school on his first day and this poem is about the thoughts I had about the kids, the parents and our school system in general.

Of all the planets in this universe we are born in this solar system, on this earth, in a specific city, go to a specific school, get degrees and create a specific career. From the moment we are born, our life passes through a broad set of ‘universal’ possibilities to a narrower path, down through a funnel finally converging to the point of final rest.

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Learning with kids

It’s amazing how quickly kids grow up. What’s really funny is that I realize my kids are no more those tiny cuties, when we go to the shoe store every other month because they have outgrown their shoes; Or when we order pizza home and I realize I had to order a bigger pizza or an additional pizza compared to the previous order. J

I think the best part with kids is when they ask questions and I have to research to give an answer. While I feel proud, it drives home the fact that kids entering our lives is not a time to teach, but a time to learn and relive our lives.

This poem is for my kiddos who have given me a new opportunity to learn.

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It still seems yesterday they came into our lives;

Years have rolled they remain the twinkle of our eyes.

Deep inside they are still those cute bundles of bliss;

Until I pause to wonder when did they grow and how did I miss.

The time together has been a joyful ride;

With teachings and learning of equal stride.

Often their questions ignite our thoughts;

Making us proud of our amazing mascots.

Again as I think, it might just be every parents dream;

To see their kids in adept gleam.

The arrival of a child heralds a subtle truth;

It’s time for parents to learn, and relive their youth. 

~Narendra V Joshi