An Original Poem by David Charles Metler
The picket line
The lines between countries
The line between you and where the rest of the world begins
There may be no line more powerful of telling whether the future will be different than the present
than watching kindergarteners line up.
“Line up and be quiet” the teacher yells, casually unaware of the significance this ordinary routine has in shaping the future.
In an instant, all the children mindlessly obey and form a perfectly straight and quiet line in the school hallway.
The status quo sighs in relief resting reassured of its continuation
But wait.
Just then another teacher comes walking by
The children are signaled by their teacher to give a silent finger wave
They again all obey…
Except one
The smallest child in the class seems to think for a split second then exclaims at the top of his lungs “I have missed you so much!” while launching himself for a hug at the waist of the teacher walking by
That teacher walking by was me.
