Listen

To those
who tell me that a little child
cannot see the far away letters
on your shining testing machines
that she needs expensive wait your turn specialists
in the streets with fixed statistics and incomes
when
most of the children in this country are
swollen bellied hungry,
vitamin deficient,
smoking drinking beating parents
careful
put your head down
the drums are beating

to those
who tell me that a little child
must please put back the books
in the squeaking clean bookshop
full to capacity with expensive coloured books
she is disturbing the system
when
most of the children in this country
will most likely never have their own coloured book
waiting for the non arrival of a text book
learning under strikes and limited light
eyes strained
walking far to buses and lifts in the dirt
careful
put your head down
the drums are beating

the dividing line is cracking
the dividing line, is cracking.