The Apology

He came to me as soon as I entered the class –

‘Miss I am sorry about what I did yesterday.

Though.............. I don’t know what I did wrong - ?????’

I felt sorry for him.

He had been rude. He had mocked my sincere advice -

Laughed in my face with arrogant daring.

I, a teacher. He, my student.

And now – this apology.

As I said: I felt sorry for him.

It isn’t really his fault –

Right and wrong; good and bad – threads of life

Are interwoven into a fabric with a new hue –

An altogether different shade

Unlike the original strands –

Not as bright as the colour of ‘good rightness’

Not as dull as the colour of ‘bad wrongness’

A baffling shade of deception -

Fair is foul and foul is fair! – Its true!

The voice of conscience

That dares to raise its head – is drowned;

Swamped by the baser voices

of selfishness, greed and raw desires.

Two teachers doling out advice –

Contrary advice.

Confusion. Stress. Distress.

Minds too tired to take a decision,

Trying to make sense out of contradictory statements.

Stalemate.

A defeat. A victory.

For This poor child then, the answer is:

Give in. Just go with the flow –

That is easy: no brain strain.

Let the fake lights blind.

In this dazzling darkness – defeat garbs itself as victory.

Rights and wrongs don’t matter anymore.