The village school. R.I.P.

Eight rows of ancient wooden desks,

empty now, stood quiet in patient rank and file,

scarred from initials cut with purposeful intent

by ink stained fingers of the child become the man.

The blackboard, half erased old chalk marks

scraped so deeply they will never fade,

mute witness to the high and selfless

task of knowledge shared.

And only fitful sunlight passes now,

chasing laughter of those gone before;

summer children,  windblown seeds, 

light hearted, soaring to the skies,

as dried up inkwells laze, frayed books, 

odd pencils, gather dust.

Schools out for good, 

holding fast its tattered hem;

unloved, untasked and 

idling out the long,

lacklustre days.

Reviews

[Ed Hart]

all gone, all gone...i sat by the open window and listened to the world come knocking on my heart...in those days they took idlers like me to the cloakroom and taught us to count time as the wooden pointer added up the price of dalliance...for taking it away from my third grade teacher and returning the blows, i was given the love of my fellows, and the opportunity to repeat the third grade...the memory doesn't hurt as much as it used to...thank you Beccy

[W.k.kortas]

Where I live, there are any number of WPA-built schools from the thirties, all brick with just enough artistic touches to make them warm, which are either abandoned or apartment houses, beautiful old auditoriums turned into storage space. This resonates, yes indeed.

[....................]

I live in what was once a one room school... my folks bought it in the late fifties for $300 and my dad turned it into a home... today it's mine... i have often imagined what it would have been like to sit in this old building when a teacher stood where the rear wall of the living room is now... your piece has conjured all kinds of images in my mind...thanks for sharing this wonderful piece...a fine tribute to what once was the foundation for learning in many tiny villages...

[Robert]

Back to the days of school without computers. The old desk described so well here it really brings you back to those long-ago days. I remember we watches movies with the projector and the film reels. Well dine Beccy.

[Donald Meikle]

It's at the top of Thomas lane across from St John the evangelist in Knotty Ash and I was four

[Gee]

Loved this took me back many years to my primary school back in the late 60's.