The World is My Classroom… 02/06/10: India

The world is my classroom, and I am the student,
Learning the lessons of poverty around the world.

The algebraic formulas that estimate the rate of hunger;
The stories of those that fight for their right to eat.

The history of wars spawn to preserve an ideology,
Only to find out that those who led the war carried hatred and malfeasance towards humanity.

The science of illness and disease,
That ravage the bodies of the old and young alike-
And many lost to diseases and illnesses for which we have cures for.

What is captured in the stories and tales of life can not be read,
Because the authors do not know how to write-
But their words are none-the-less as powerful and moving.

Home economics stands for different grounds when there is no home,
Only a temporary place to lay your head under what would otherwise be a beautiful star-filled night.

The wear and tear on your body and joints is put to the test through this physical course,
So much so that some can not endure-
And begin to fall at your feet.

Yet with all the hardships that you bear witness to,
The joy in humanity still shines through.

Songs of hope and perseverance.
Tales of opportunity and a chance of reaching utopia.

The dream that when you reach out during a time of need,
A hand is there to greet you.

You come out leaving this classroom better than you did coming in,
But only if you happened to have an open mind and learn the lessons within.

Now you have become the student, in my classroom, in our world.
It is time for you to be the teacher.

Spread the word, teach others the lessons that you learn.
Don't let yourself be silenced when the shouts of injustice beckon.

You have a responsibility, in a position of privilege, in a position of power.
Use it.

Do something human,
Do something for humanity.

Too many people are counting on your education to mean something,
So don't let these lessons be lost.

Be the change you want to see in the world,
Be the change the world needs.

Write the new lesson plans of the future,
For I would like to continue learning, and continue exploring.

The world is my classroom…
And you are my teacher.

Ruben Frescas, MS4
India