Dear Madam,
The complain note was a pleasure.
Yes, you read that right!
Whatever may be the insinuation,
It filled me with delight.
Firstly, what she has done
Little kids are expected to do.
And such others that I know
Number much more than a few.
This is how friends and own self,
Our creativity, we expressed.
This being a kid's natural instinct,
Our school/parents never suppressed.
And before my girl discovers life
And navigates this complex maze,
I want her to have all the fun
In these few childhood days.
While I have not tutored her
On what all fun acts to do,
It was a wonderful realisation,
The same mischief, we did too.
But no such reprimands befell us
Because the town that we stayed
Always had an assimilative culture
And knows how characters get made.
Thus, we may now pin the blame
On free thinking, this town gives.
And suggest the aggrieved parent
Move to a place more conservative.
For, its most likely his own son
Should come under the same influence.
And consider, in the growing up years,
For these views, his dad a dunce.
The aggrieved parent has all right
To question my kid's upbringing.
But let him know, for all he knows,
That he actually knows nothing.
Else, why hasn't he realised
That upbringing is a long process,
And a ten year old child
Is just a work in progress?
Its not as a child, or even a teen,
But growing up to a mature adult,
That the parent can proudly show
Upbringing and its due result.
Let aggrieved parent share his coordinates.
Our performance, we may then compare.
For, its a good fifteen years away,
To know, as parents, how we fare.
I have spoken to the girl
And she admits her part,
But also that she is not
The sole contributor to this art.
So, if you will delve a bit deeper,
I am sure you will find
That in your lovely class
There are other creative minds.
It may very well be the victim child
For all that I do know.
And this is not far fetched,
If, by his own reaction, you go.
While the aggrieved parent
Would still thrust all blame,
Let those little kids know
That harmless fun has no shame.
Lastly, this being the week
Dedicated to St. Valentine,
I wish the aggrieved parent
All that is fine.
(Ashish Dimri, 09/02/2019)
p.s.: The above was in response to a complaint (appended below, names struck off) by a parent that my daughter had drawn on his son's portrait in the school diary. While this would have been brushed off as a case of being too touchy & overprotective, I had to respond because he questioned her upbringing for the same. So, if you come across your or any other kid doing the same, let them be. Its their childhood & we shouldn't interfere with it. Let them enjoy the childhood while it lasts.
