It began nearly 50 years ago,

a song on the radio.

A lament certainly,

a tragedy in education definitely.

Indoctrination!

A story of a creative soul

beset by conformity

Hounded till no defense remained

creativity challenged and lost

Conformity!

We railed against the perpetrators

the cookie cutter world

they were creating

the regimentation and repetition until

Surrender!

As the soul was lost, we cried

some tried to change

to be more open and supportive

yet the system always fought against the tide

Waves Crashing!

Movements come and gone

forever fighting a system

entrenched in stone, fighting all change

all innovation, all improvement

Exhaustion!

Fifty years have passed

the battle almost forgotten in the

race to survive each day

often taking the “easy way”

Complacence!

The future has reached us

The tools for creativity and persuasion

both advanced yet the problem remains

indoctrination, conformity; we must not surrender

Flowers cannot only be Red!