(Written early in the morning at Mt Sinai Hospital (Toronto, ON), Maternity Ward: Feb 24, 2012)

Who can quiet the children’s cries?
At first we offer them milk, but sometimes later serve up lies.

The tears of children are the tributaries of the river of need,
If they fail to dry up they erode into a valley of greed.

We say ‘follow the rules and success will open its door’,
The truth is treading the trodden path is only a bore.

If the measure of a person comes only in grades and salary,
we provide the spiritual equivalent of less than one calorie

Not only their first steps must we applaud and cheer,
But welcome tough questions like “why are we here?”

We fear their questions because we fear our own lacking,
Even though some questions can only be answered by repeatedly asking.

Sometimes the most honest answer a parent can provide is to say “I don’t know”,
To feign a mass accepted fairy tale will only stultify their will to grow.

Without imposing stoic beliefs but in allowing rules to transform and be bent,
Only thus shall we quench their thirst and be a complete and guiding parent.