Posts tagged Literature

My baby wants to fly!

Dear God.

Who gave her such ideas?

Who let my baby watch that show

The one about the circus folk

My baby saw that show

My baby saw those kids!

How they have their school

How hard they work

How high they fly.

See, mommy? See?

THEIR mommy lets them fly!

Sigh.

What am I to do?

Now my baby cries to fly!

Aw, baby, stay here, baby!

Stay on the ground with mommy!

What if you fell?

See, baby? See?

Put away those wings you long to try

Stay here on the ground

Safe here, on the ground

Be happy here on the ground

Just like mommy!

Sigh.

Before you know it, baby

You won’t be able to fly

Even if you wanted to

But you’ll be safe here on the ground

In this circus on the ground

And any wings you may have had

Are dried up & blown away

Just like mommy’s.

Why does baby want to fly?

Don’t you want to be

Just like mommy?

Dear God.

Why?

My baby wants to fly!


@2012 Iris M. Gross

CONVENTIONAL INTERPRETATION

• Higher education trains students for a profession
• Associations and organizations exist to protect people from harm
• Religious institutions provide answers and shared experiences to members
• Charities exist to help people
• Entertainment & publishing firms ensure a meritocracy in literature, the arts, and filmmaking

ALTERNATIVE INTERPRETATION

• Associations and organizations exist to restrict our choices and enforce monopolies
• Religious institutions subdue members toward a common belief to increase their own power
• Charities exist to sustain themselves
• Entertainment & publishing firms establish a cartel that promotes mediocrity and hinder independent artists

Excerpted from the book, “The Art of Non-Conformity” by Chris Guillebeau