The School Gate
The school gate couldn't understand why
Guarding the school
Was its sole responsibility
And this
It took upon seriously
Everyday it stood
Against the wind and the rains
In solitude at night
And through the bustling and hustling of the day
What couldn't it understand?
It doesn't know why
At 5am each morning
The security guard had unlocked itself
With such viciousness and ruthlessness
In response to its welcoming smile
For finally company was here
Maybe I should smile more
It thought to itself
And it had smiled so that there was a creaking sound
And the guard cursed
For it was time to oil the gate again
It doesn't know why
At 6.30am each morning
When the students and teachers start streaming in
They were dragging their bodies
And slowly trudging along
Like some slime with great inertia
Their faces stoned
Their eyes drooped
Their smiles lost
Replaced with grim frowns
Their laughter absent
Replaced with groans and whims
Yet when the bell rings
Signaling the end of the school
The students and teachers alike
Would fill out of the school
Chattering with excitement
Bubbling with anticipation
It all seemed to the gate
That they were only far too pleased to leave it
Alone all over again
Even as the guard locked up the gate
At the end of the day
At 7pm
He would be whistling to himself
Through his almost toothless gum
All the gate wanted
Was just an acknowledging nod
Or just one more glance
From those he loved and protected
Yet that never came
Not even as the gate was replaced
With the new stainless model from Japan
Resplendent with a new coat of paint
Attracting wows and admiration from students and staff
It was fortunate
that the old gate mistook the milling crowd around the entrance
As students expressing their gratitude
To his service all those years
As it was being delivered
To the disposal grounds
The gate started to miss the kids
Who came to say goodbye.
posted by Lia @ 3:05 AM
2 Comments:
hmm..i guess its a somewhat half-happy n half-sad story.
i cant rem which anime it was, but there was a story abt this boy who was very kind.
----
one day, he went on a tour around the world, and everywhere he went, he would help the people around him. soon, the people grew to take advantage of him, and they took all his valuable, which all he gave them willingly. but he was penniless and he went to the forest, the forest where there are a lot of demons. the demons knew that he was a kindhearted boy, and they appealed for him to help them. they claimed to be hungry, and the innocent boy gave up his limbs, his body, and even his last eyeball to them. the demons were not in the least grateful, and they wrote him a note:"baka". but the sweet little boy was very touched, coz he tot it was a thankyou note frm the demons. and then, he died.
----
very sad rite? but, i believe the school gate is quite happy. coz at least in real life, there are students who have graduated, and will return to their alma mater and look at the school. n they wld grin to themselves as memories about the fun they had while they were still studying.
which reminds me...lets go back to nj 1 dae to salute at the gate, and then go coro to eat ke ai ji.
Ignorance is bliss - your somewhat poignant story seems to exemplify this point.
Is that a good thing? Which is more important, happiness or truth? Perhaps many people might say that ignorant happiness is a better option, but when we all leave the world one day (and assuming that there's an afterlife), we'll see on hindsight that this happiness is a fleeting one. So pursuit of truth is the more important thing? But if our eyes are genuinely opened to truth one day, will it be something we have the capacity to swallow? The gate's life and soul will be reduced to shambles, were it to know the truth of everything, wouldn't it?
What would be more important then, truth or happiness? Assuming that you choose truth, does that entail that you believe in "absolute truth", or that the only truth that will matter is the direct truth that you perceive?
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