Tuesday, April 4, 2023

both conservative and radical

 

the middle schooler


middle schoolers are inherently conservative,

easily set firmly into opinions,

while the same middle schoolers are as radical as can be,

as each rides a whirlwind of developmental change,

no wonder the tendency for them

is to grab on to their own viewpoint, 

and hold on to it, with passionate firmness,


just as in the body politic,

our challenge is to reconcile 

the truth of different poles

that pull at us,

to hold true to history, 

to our values, 

to what makes each unique,

while embracing the future that opens us into explosive possibility,


our middle schoolers are propagandized by self-doubt,

the fear that each is imposter while others are real,


if each can solve the riddle of who they are,

the ordinary can become extraordinary,

and actor after actor can star in their own soliloquy,

and star in the drama the ensemble they choose,

an ensemble that creates something new

which pulls us all toward a better tomorrow.




by Henry H. Walker
March 22, ‘23

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