Once again it is that time of the year which we all poetry lovers eagerly await.
Yes! It’s NaPoWriMo/ GloPoWriMo month, when we write a poem everyday for 30 days on the prompt (optional) given by our dear Maureen 🙂
So, here we begin our journey today with the following prompt. Here’s how the prompt for Day 1 goes:
For our first (optional) prompt, let’s write poems that provide the reader with instructions on how to do something. It can be a sort of recipe, like O’Neil’s poem. Or you could try to play on the notorious unreliability of instructional manuals (if you’ve ever tried to put IKEA furniture together, you know what I mean). You could even write a dis-instruction poem, that tells the reader how not to do something.
Here’s my take on the prompt for the day!
How to make a good parent…Are you one?
I wish there was an instruction manual
On being an awesome parent
And if you hopped on here for its base and trace
I’m not sure if you’ve come to right place
For there’s no standard way of parenting
And it’s all on the bond you two share
Yet I have a list of phrases
That shouldn’t reach your child’s ears
“Hey Honey! Why your room is always a mess?”
“Don’t wear that! You look fat in that dress!”
“Would you ever be careful about school work?”
“Ah! This is grungy! Let me show you how to do this, you jerk”
“Why you recall all needs at the eleventh hour?”
“You look a wreck! Go straight to the shower!”
“What’s wrong with you my dear”
“You can never do anything right, I swear”
“You were good but I’m sure you can do better”
“I wish you were as good as dear Peter”
“I never did this when I was a kid”
“You should be really ashamed of your deed”
“I’m so disappointed in you”
“In my house, you must follow my rules”
So I can keep adding more to the list
But I hope you have got the gist
Words that hurt you and me
Are strictly prohibited in parenting
For a child simply follows your footsteps
So watch your words and actions that suppress!
©Vandana Bhasin
01.04.2019
P.S: Picture taken from Google
Well said! these words not only hurt but shape their mental landscape.
Absolutely! We don’t even realise the impact of some passing comments but they go a long way in buildings NGO their individuality. Thanks for reading and commenting
Our words can leave lasting scars hey! You capture the need to be delicate with them so well here!
Thanks a ton Sam! We don’t even realise that our words can be so painful, do we? Thank you for reading and commenting 🙂
I know! Quite a responsibility to use them with intention!