IT Home Learning Lesson 3

The Son is in Secondary School by Affran Sa’at

My badge has a Latin motto
Hope for the future
The future is hope
Or something

At times black crows try to interrupt
When we sing the National Anthem

It is difficult to maintain
The whiteness of my shoes
Especially on Wednesdays

I must admit there is something quite special
About the bare thighs of hardworking scouts

The Malay chauffeurs
Who wait for my schoolmates
Sit on the car park kerb
Telling jokes to one another

Seven to the power of five is unreasonable

On Chinese New Year
Mrs Lee dressed up
In a sarong kebaya
And sang Bengawan Solo

The capital of Singapore is Singapore

My best friend did a heroic thing once
Shaded all A’s
For his Chinese Language
Multiple-choice paper

In our annual yearbook
There is a photograph of me

Pushing a wheelchair and smiling
They caught me
At the exact moment

When my eyes were actually closed

***
Respond to the following threads.

Discussion threads:

1. What are the poet’s thoughts? What were his feelings as he think back on these ?
2. Think back on our days in Primary School. Do you share the same sentiments? What were your memories of those days? Write a poem of no less than 4 stanzas.

1. I think the poet is missing his old school life. He missed the lessons. This can be seen from "Seven to the power of five is unreasonable" and "The capital of Singapore is Singapore" which he learn from lessons. He also described his school life in a humorous way.

2.

Flashback starts,

As my mind travelled,

To my old primary school days.

Happiness, sorrow,

Surprise, anxiety,

Any emotions that can be named,

I went through in my primary days.

Homework, homework and more homework,

Exams were teachers’ favourite word.

Teachers’ word is law,

Whenever we disobey,

Or when results were bad,

Canes come raining down on our hands.

But looking back,

I found that I missed,

My old primary school days,

My old primary school friends,

The fun we have together.

My old primary school teachers,

Whose teachings could never be forgotten,

As they make me into what I am today.

Now,

I wished I had a time machine,

I wished I could turn back the time,

I will be more obedient to my teachers,

I will be better to my friends,

I will study harder for exams,

But it’s too late.

***

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