When I was in primary school
I read books at lightning speed
I was the kid who sat in class at lunch
I just really loved to read
I read about all sorts of things
Many books, they blew my mind
But what it really taught me
Is how to express these things I find
I read non fiction about horses
I read stories about life
I loved Australian novels
I devoured books at night
My mind was always spinning full
Of all these fancy places
And if I even closed my eyes
I could imagine all their faces
The novels they intrigued me
The poems caught my eye
And then along came the internet
My book days began to die
But these days my novel reading
Has been replaced with blogs and docs
I read posts on Facebook
The art of spelling has been lost
I pay more attention than you realise
Of how people talk down to one another
They think that hiding behind a keyboard
Is an excuse to be a fighter not a lover
While the first thought comes to mind
They may not like what they just read
They don’t take the time to word carefully
The thoughts inside their head!
Some write down their initial response
Designed to belittle the one who typed
They jump on the band wagon
Of sensationalised internet hype
Perhaps if they waited a moment longer
Had they re read what they wrote
The answer that they gave online
And not jumped down their throat
They might have saved some anguish
Or spared feelings of the one who posted
Perhaps instead of belittling
They could have thought before they boasted
I don’t like to sugar coat things
Unless it is my food
I much prefer to tell it like it is
But still, I don’t have to be rude!
My students will all tell you
I can criticise them with care
I can praise when praise is needed
Without any graces or airs
My goal is to lift people up
To help them enjoy the ride
To learn horsie things with fun
Without hurting them inside
But in this modern world of horses
Teaching comes in many forms
Sometimes it’s in person
And other times the written word
Sometimes it’s a video
Showing just how I do a thing
I’ve got to be brave to post it
Because critics it can bring
Videos are fabulous
To teach and show my thoughts
But do I need to sensor these
To hide smart alec retorts?
Take from them what you wish
But know I have thought about them with care
To show you how I handle things
I’m proud of what I share
And while I can still realise
That some will always disagree
They might just give others hope
It may be just what they need!
It’s ok to have a different perspective
It’s even fine to disagree
But think about how you voice your thoughts
Is it really necessary?
You can give someone your opinion
Without being unkind
You could even choose to bite your tongue
And keep the thoughts inside your mind
Learning comes in many forms
The internet is so easy to share
I still haven’t learned to use instagram
I forget it’s even there 😂
So while I’m stuck in Facebook world
You may have to bear with me
Technology is more advanced
Than I’ll probably ever be
But while I am still able
To share my knowledge with you
Sometimes you’ll have to read my poems
Or perhaps a video will do
Occasionally when I’m up late at night
I’ll comment on someone’s post
But read the way I type to others
You’ll find I’m kinder than most
I never claim to know it all
If I do, I may as well be dead
Because none of us have all the answers
Sitting in our head
Instead we can choose to help others
With the knowledge that we show
And keep reading, writing and watching
To increase the skills we know
So try to think before you speak
Re read before you type
Are you truly being helpful
Or just increasing social media hype?