They want him to be perfect.
They expect him to be great.
They want his name to be the one on every test that’s aced.
The ladder to the future
He’s told to not waste time
For if he hesitates the ladder won’t be his to climb.
Beyond the academics
To music and to sports
When broadened those horizons he can spread his wings and soar.
“Absorb the history novels”
“Don't read books just for fun”
To know the meaning behind the text will help in the long run.
Attention to the teacher
No wandering minds allowed
If followed all these guidelines, then someday he'll be so proud.
No style is required
To learn to be the best
They say one can be dressed in rags and still win worldwide chess.
The numbers and the letters
The basics to live life
Foundations that are not real strong are weak, collapsed inside.
He becomes so overwhelmed
With pressure and with stress
But he cannot show this weakness in case others might jest.
He's walking on a tightrope
Too slim for him to stand
And tumbling down and down and down there is no other plan.
At last he breaks the bottom
Where he can be at peace
And watch as others climb towards a past goal that's now a dream.
He’s older and he’s wiser
A decade has gone by
And raising a sweet child since the time of her first cry.
He wants her to be perfect
He wants her to be great
But it is not her name that’s written on the test that’s aced.
Yet he does not come blaming
Does not want her to change
He says to stay the way she is, without a rearrange.
The ladder isn’t stable
It wobbles and it shakes
That’s why he holds it up for her to make sure it won’t break.
She’s stumbling and she’s tripping
He brushes off the dust
And bandages the injuries at times he knows he must.
At last she nears the summit
And reaches for the stars
The effort she has put forth can be shown through all her scars.
He watches from the shadows
With feelings of delight
And now she’s living life with pride, like flames that flicker bright.