Elementary Class

Neatly packed roughly on the floor,
With a qalam, on slates
We wrote.
Dare not leave a class with no door,
Ate from trays, and not plates.
We rote

In uniform, we read from books
Stubborn kids to long whips;
Key piece.
What was taught goes far beyond looks,
Beyond words from the lips,
It’s peace.

Tomide Abdul