Change Causes a Reflection

And now the time has come again
For me to sit and ponder
On whether I have decided well
To allow myself to wander

From that which seemed to be going so well
With money enough to burn
To take up a job in another realm
For my old friends I continue to yearn

There is sadness a plenty
And yet I'm compelled to try for fields anew
This hankering for change I cannot overcome
It's ingrained in far too few.

But maybe there is advantage
In never staying still
A rolling stone they say gathers no moss
As it rolleth down the hill.

But I am over the hill right now
I should be slowing down
Not wanting to try to change the world
By driving all round the town

Visiting home based educators
Their work is really Fab
And now I can dress up sometimes
Instead of looking quite drab

I drive a sporty little Yaris
With pictures plastered on it
I meet all sorts of wonderful people
And I havent needed to look under the bonnet

Everything I have ever done
Has been brought together here
My teaching and my Virtues work
My total lifelong career

Of being a real people person
Can be viewed here at PORSE
An organisation that I believe
Really justifies a cause.

The care of little children
has for years been taking place
In larger groups and larger groups
In some unsuitable space

Some look lost and quite forlorn
It really isn't right
Some thought it could be profitable
To open through the night

But children are not chattels
They do not belong to us
We need to join in unison
To sing the perfect chorus

A child's brain develops
From 0 to the age of 3
Much more rapidly than was previously thought
And so it seems to me

That very little children
Need to be in home based care
Learning life in smaller groups
Of large ones be aware

Children under 3 at least
Should be cared for in small groups
Not herded into centres
And made to go through hoops.

Research into children's brains
Has proved beyond a doubt
That children need to be seen and heard
Not made to scream and shout

In order to be noticed
This happens more and more
Within the purpose built centres
Behind the closed door

The children that I visit now
Are relaxed and very calm
Their educators care for up to four
So there is much less risk of harm

The sooner that we realise
The better to my mind
Let's hope that society recognises
That we're far too far behind

In caring for our little ones
Who are the countries future
This gaping wound that we have cleft
Needs more than one small suture.

Please heed my words who gazes on
Don't simply ignore my plea
Home based early childhood education
Is the only one up to the age of 3